Jaune and the Lands of Termina
by enCRYPTion5461
Summary: Jaune was off on his way to Vale to enter Beacon and start his journey to become a Huntsmen, however on his way he was robbed of a family heirloom and ended up chasing the thief to a world known as Termina, now stuck in a cycle of repeating three days, will he end up saving the world or will all of Termina die? ... He should've stayed home. Rated T for now.
1. No Longer in Remnant

_**Chapter 01: No Longer in Remnant**_

 ** _Legends._**

 ** _Stories._**

 ** _Myths._**

 ** _Whether they're true or not, many people pass them on through each and every generation, some of them embellished as tales of Heroes and Villains lay scattered throughout time._**

 ** _But eventually they are forgotten and fade through the harsh reality of the world and replaced with new ones that will undoubtedly follow in their footsteps._**

 ** _Such as when Remnant was once called Hyrule or how a single hero clad in green with nothing more than a shield and sword appeared to challenge all that stands in his way._**

 ** _The Hero was what they called him for his true name was forgotten and though each one was a different person they were often mistaken as the same._**

 ** _But he also had different titles._**

 ** _The Hero of Hyrule._**

 ** _Legendary Hero._**

 ** _Hero of Time._**

 ** _Hero of the essence of Time and Nature._**

 ** _Walker of Winds._**

 ** _Hero's Shade._**

 ** _Goddess Knight._**

 ** _Hero of the Wild._**

 ** _It goes on and on and only a few remnants of his history remain within deep ruins._**

 ** _But now the time for a new hero is upon us and fate has decreed on who it will be._**

 ** _The only thing to see is if this one will survive the trials of the Forgotten Lands before he is ready to make his mark upon the world of Remnant._**

* * *

"Ow." A voice muttered as a blonde haired, blue eyed seventeen year old teenager tripped over a root, wearing a black hoodie with some armor on it and blue jeans, a sword sheathed to his hip.

Jaune Arc shook his head and pushed himself up, pulling a map out in complete confusion.

"This doesn't make any sense." Jaune muttered as he was in an unfamiliar part of the forest outside of his hometown.

He's been through this forest plenty of times-enough to where he made his own map no matter how hard it was to read it, never once getting lost and he has never seen this area before.

It was also one of the quickest way to get to the nearest town before he heads to Vale to try and register for Beacon.

Beacon Academy being the prestigious school for Huntsmen and Huntresses alike-warriors who protect the innocent.

But now Jaune was incredibly lost-which even he thought was stupid as the forest wasn't this big before-or this foggy.

"It feels like the beginning of one of those bad adventure tales Dad used to read to me." Jaune muttered with a hint of amusement placing his map back in his bag.

He was tensed and ready to pull his sword out if need be but he was nervous.

Truth be told he didn't have any sort of training with a sword at all-being the youngest of seven siblings left for him to be protected a lot-which he thought was stupid as he wanted to try and be a hero like a lot of people in his family were.

"Come on Jaune just keep calm, the Grimm were recently cleared out of this forest." Jaune tried to calm himself down as that was the very reason he chose to sneak out through the forest.

Although it wouldn't be too unusual for there to be a stray or two that survived.

It was times like these that he envied the Faunus for their Night Vision-although he immediately felt bad considering how they're usually treated like lesser beings when they weren't.

"Stop stalling just move on and get out of the forest." Jaune had a grin, not seeing two balls of light floating above him in the tree's, one white and one purple.

Hearing some twigs snap, Jaune turned to see nothing and sighed.

He really needed to think more positive, didn't one of his sisters tell him that the creatures of Grimm are attracted because of negativity?

So he reached into his bag and pulled out a blue instrument-an Ocarina he recalled.

This Ocarina has been in his family for generations alongside Crocea Mors-his weapon and it was given to him by his Dad along with some songs that he was taught.

Raising the instrument to his lips, Jaune began to play a small melody while walking-what was it called again-oh right Saria's Song-he was never told why it was called that but it was one of his favorite songs to play.

It was oddly fitting in this forest and it did uplift his spirits-the fog also seemed to clear up a bit if he was paying any attention while walking.

As he continued however, the two orbs of light suddenly flew in front of Jaune making him hit a shrill note in fear as he stumbled back, tripping on another root before slamming his head into a tree being knocked out.

After a few moments, a third figure appeared from the woods-first only a mask could be seen in the shape of a heart with jagged spikes on the end the mask itself was purple with huge orange eyes.

As it got closer a body followed showing a child with red tunic-like shirt with leaf-like bracers on his arms and leaf-like shorts.

The masked kid gave quite the creepy laugh before lifting the mask to show a creature that wasn't faunus or human, but had a beak on his face as well. "Hee hee, you two fairies did great!" He said with a creepy smile. "I wonder if he has anything good on him."

With that said he placed the mask back on his face and slowly walked up to Jaune, being careful just in case he wasn't really out before he reached him and lightly kicked him.

There was a groan but he didn't open his eyes showing that he was alive but out.

His eyes however were drawn to the Ocarina in his hands and the kid grabbed it curiously.

"Ooh, ooh! What a pretty Ocarina." The Purple Fairy said in awe at it. "Hey Skull Kid, lemme touch it, I wanna see."

As Skull Kid blew a note in the Ocarina the white fairy lightly tapped the purple one. "You can't, Tael." She said to the younger fairy. "What would we do if you dropped it and broke it?! No way you can touch it."

Tael's wings drooped in sadness. "Aw but sis, why can't I try it out too?" He asked in slight dejection.

As Skull Kid continued to try other notes out, none of them noticed Jaune opening his eyes and raising a hand to his pounding head.

"What just-?" Jaune whispered before hearing the Ocarina and looked to see a masked kid with his back turned messing with it.

Jaune slowly got up catching Tael and his sister's attention making them tense and make ringing noises from their bodies.

Skull Kid blinked in confusion at them before slowly turning to see Jaune and jumped, hiding the Ocarina behind his back. "Oh hey, lovely night isn't it?"

Jaune shook his head. "Uh I guess?" He said not sure what was going on. "Hey do you mind giving me my Ocarina back please?"

While he was pretty sure that wouldn't work as this seemed more like a robbery from the stories he read he was willing to try the polite and pacifist way first.

"What Ocarina?" Skull Kid feigned despite knowing fully well what he was talking about.

"Come on this isn't funny, that's a gift from my Dad." Jaune said as he didn't want to lose it.

Skull Kid gave another creepy laugh that made Jaune tense. "Is that so? Well I might give it back," With that said he jumped high into the air, to a nearby tree branch. "If you can catch me sucker!"

With that said he ran-the two fairies right behind him and Jaune was immediately on him, jumping over the tree roots as he didn't have time to be careful.

He was already on thin ice as it is with running away to become a Huntsman, his Dad will kill him if he lost that Ocarina-.

Jaune was unprepared when Skull Kid shot down from above and kicked him into a tree stump before running off through a large log that was in the wall a shadow hiding what was behind it.

"Ow, okay that kid is tough." Jaune muttered rubbing his head as he felt something sticky in his hair showing that he was now bleeding before he felt something poking his leg.

Looking down, he was surprised to see a green gem-like item. "The heck?"

Despite being curious he needed to focus so he grabbed it to inspect later and ran after Skull Kid coming to a clearing where there was a path of stumps going higher heading into a cave up above.

"Okay seriously where did this place come from?" Jaune muttered in slight annoyance.

It was like it appeared overnight.

Seeing as how Skull Kid only had one place to go, Jaune began to run to the stumps using them to jump from one to the other, nearly losing his balance on a few of them before he made it to the cave.

He ran in, coming to a complete stop when he came across a huge pit trying to regain his balance but this time he was unable to and began to fall. "Oh dust!" Jaune screamed in slight fear sounding like a girl-despite how he would forever deny that if anyone else asked.

As he fell however, Jaune swore he saw what looked to be faces made of light flying past him and his left hand began to glow before he somehow landed safely on a giant flower in the middle of a shallow pond.

"I-I'm alive?" Jaune muttered his heart hammering against his chest.

Wait he hit his head-maybe this was a dream-?

A bright light shone on Jaune as he raised an arm to cover it before he saw Skull Kid freaking levitating as he threw the Ocarina up and down with the two fairies next to him. "Did you just scream like a girl?" He asked in a teasing voice full of mirth.

"N-No," Jaune denied before narrowing his eyes not caring if this was a dream or not. "Now give me back the Ocarina."

"Stubborn aren't you? I'll admit I'm impressed that you managed to keep up with me to chase me here." Skull Kid said offhandedly not caring at how Jaune had enough-his patience a bit short from the head injury as he unsheathed Crocea Mors-turning the sheath into a shield. "Oh please like you scare me, do you even know how to use that weapon?"

Jaune felt a flicker of uncertainty at that but he tensed.

Skull Kid saw the uncertainty and chuckled. "I'd just thought I would have a little fun with you but then you proved very persistent," He said his voice taking a darkened edge to it. "Do you really believe you can beat me as I am now? Fool!"

Jaune will admit that the way his voice changed had him scared but he got ready to charge before stumbling as Skull Kid's mask started to shake a weird type of energy coming from it.

The next thing Jaune knew he was weaponless in a dark room with these weird plant-like creatures crowding him.

Taking a step back Jaune ran thinking they were Grimm and he was hoping to find his weapons but he ended up running into a giant one and just like that he was back.

Skull Kid blinked and looked closer as Jaune's form was different.

Seeing the confusion, Jaune looked down in the pond to see his reflection and noted with some fear that he looked like one of those plant creatures from the small dream with orange eyes, an open circular mouth. At least his clothes remained the same and changed to fit his body, the hood of his hoodie pulled over his head.

Still this was humiliating.

Skull Kid threw his head back and laughed. "Hee hee, now that's a good look for you."

Jaune went to shout at him, demand he be changed back but only unintelligible noises came out showing that this form spoke quite differently from humans.

He didn't know how to talk like this.

That only made Skull Kid laugh harder.

"You'll stay here looking like that forever." Skull Kid began to float away.

Seeing that, Jaune went to run after him noting he didn't have Crocea Mors anymore but the white fairy stayed behind and slammed into his head knocking him down.

The fairy then blew a raspberry at Jaune to add insult to that injury not noticing how Skull Kid and Tael were now past the stone door that just opened-Tael however noticed. "S-S-Sis!"

The white fairy turned right as soon as the door closed making her panic. "Whoa! Whoa! Skull Kid I'm still in here," She shouted rushing towards the door. "Tael, you can't leave without me!"

She tackled the door a few times, her wings drooping before turning in anger.

"You!" She flew right at Jaune who just pushed himself up, tackling him again to knock him down once more. "If I wasn't dealing with you I wouldn't have gotten separated from my brother. Well don't just sit there Deku Boy, do something!"

Ignoring the 'Deku' comment Jaune looked at the fairy incredulously before getting angry.

This creature helped robbed him, nearly killed him with his head injury and stood there while her 'friend' turned him into this-this-creature and now she's blaming him?!

Jaune might be a nice guy normally but even he has his limits.

"Why are you looking at me like that? What is there something stuck on my face?" The fairy asked mistaking Jaune's angry look for confusion. "Will you stop staring and just open that door for me?! Come on a helpless, little girl is asking-."

She stopped and flew high when Jaune went to swat her.

You did this to me! He wanted to shouted but what came out was "Y d is o e!"

Needless to say this angered the fairy. "Hey what's the big idea just picking on a helpless little girl?!"

Jaune just glared.

Yeah this coming from the creature that tackled him twice not even a minute ago.

The fairy went quiet as she she thought about it. "Okay maybe I deserve a few swats," She said meekly now realizing the position she was in. "But the longer you mess with me the quicker Skull Kid will get away."

That did it as Jaune wanted to get his Ocarina back and get back to normal.

So with a glare at the fairy, Jaune walked to the door, but he heard her mutter. "Oh Tael, I do hope he's alright."

Remembering how this 'Tael' called her Sis, some of Jaune's anger evaporated as he knew how siblings cared for each other.

"Ne." Jaune tried to say fine but it came out like that.

Upon touching the door, Jaune began to use his now incredibly short and stubby hands to try and open it.

This wasn't good, they'll be trapped here if this doesn't open-.

A part of the door pressed in when Jaune touched it and it opened, allowing for him and the fairy to traverse through the dark hallway but he ran on ahead in an effort to make up for lost time, but his short legs made running pretty hard as he wasn't exactly used to this body yet.

"Hey wait for me," The fairy flew right in front of Jaune when he reached another room, standing on top of a flower like the one in the pond with the door on the other side of the room-where he couldn't exactly jump over there in his current condition. "Don't leave me behind."

The fairy floated there, her wings twitching a bit as she tried to think about what to say while Jaune took a step back for some personal space.

"Um… That stuff back there, I apologize." The fairy muttered showing she had no experience at all apologizing to people. "So… Take me with you."

Jaune just stared at the fairy.

It's joking right?

The fairy could tell what Jaune was thinking this time considering everything that just happened so she quickly spoke up. "You wanna know more about that Skull Kid who just ran off right?" She asked catching Jaune's attention. "Well, I just so happen to have an idea of where he might be going. Take me with you and I'll help you out, deal?"

Jaune continued to stare as he thought it over.

It's true, he had no clue on where this Skull Kid was going and what's more without this fairy he might forever be stuck.

He could barely move-let alone fight without stumbling like this, he can't even speak normally and he had no idea where he was or exactly what was going on.

As much as he hates to admit it, he needs help and can't afford to be picky about who is helping him.

This doesn't mean he was going to suddenly just trust this thing with what happened but he had no choice.

So Jaune gave a nod accepting the deal and could tell the Fairy looked relieved from how fast she flew around him. "Good then it's settled, I'll be your partner from here on-or at least until we catch Skull Kid."

Jaune wasn't so sure about her suddenly being his 'partner' but he gave a nod.

"My name's Tatl, so nice to meet you or whatever." Tatl said a bit awkwardly.

Now Jaune knew if he had a mouth it would be smirking in an attempt not to laugh.

Her name was Tatl and her brother was called Tael?

That was funny.

"Uh I guess we should teach you how to talk like this," Tatl said catching Jaune's attention. "We'll find someone to teach you so come on Deku Boy, let's first teach you a pretty cool thing you can do like this."

Jaune tilted his head as Tatl motioned for him to get on the flower before he gave a cry that sounded like a cat having its tail being stepped on-as he was sucked into it.

"Alright just hold for a few seconds." Tatl called in with Jaune not sure what was going on. "Now imagine being released."

Jaune immediately shot into the air holding two flower petals that were spinning-was he flying?!

For some reason his motion sickness wasn't activating as he did this before he realized that he was slowly losing air.

So it wasn't flying but more like gliding-.

Now he knew what to do.

Jaune quickly made his way across the cavern and landed right next to the door with Tatl giving a nod. "Not bad for a new Scrub." She gave a slight compliment.

Jaune beamed a bit, some of his anger gone at the sudden flight.

That was awesome.

As they continued through the door that opened like the last one, Jaune paled as they were in a room full of platforms-each having Deku Flowers on them but the drop… He couldn't even see the bottom.

"Uh don't focus on the bottom," Tatl said seeing him being nervous. "Just keep a clear head and focus on the platforms."

'I should've stayed home.' Jaune thought a bit resigned as he walked to the Deku Flower.

If he knew running away to try and enter Beacon Academy would lead to this he would've found another way-or just avoid the woods entirely.

There were a few close calls with nearly missing the ledges but eventually Jaune made his way to the end in time to see a tree that looked eerily like how he did at this moment.

"Okay this is a little strange," Tatl mused flying closer to the 'tree'. "Don't you think it's a bit creepy in how you look like this tree?"

Jaune gave a nod of agreement.

"The face looks dark and gloomy, like it would start crying any second now, how sad." Tatl said the words affecting Jaune a bit.

That was when Jaune noticed some weird seeds near it and picked them up, something that Tatl noticed.

"Ooh those are Deku Nuts." She said and Jaune nearly dropped them thinking she meant something else. "They're quite useful because they emit a flash of light when thrown to stun enemies."

Now Jaune blinked and placed them in his hoodie pocket.

It was better to have something to defend himself until he finds out what happened to Crocea Mors and modified Flash Bangs were a pretty good defense to have for now.

As they walked, the path kept getting a bit darker the only source of light Jaune had was Tatl before they were on a weird dirt path that kept twisting to the walls along with him hearing water ahead.

"It's definitely a lot easier to go through here than the other room isn't it?" Tatl spoke up a bit tired of the silence and was willing to carry the whole conversation. "... I really do mean what I said about being sorry back there, Skull Kid isn't usually like that."

Okay now Jaune was interested in this as he looked at Tatl to continue.

"I mean I know he just set a very bad impression but he never did something like what he did to you before," Tatl said a worried tone in her voice. "He usually just pranked people and only stole food-at least until he found that mask."

The conversation would've continued if they didn't enter a new room that looked like an archaeological ruin where they saw a water wheel while a stone door closed behind them much to Jaunes surprise.

"We're in the Clock Tower," Tatl said in relief showing she knew exactly where they were at. "Come on we can enter the town through here."

Jaune took the moment while walking to look at all of the gears that had some rust on them still work in perfect order, walking up the winding staircase after Tatl.

He's never seen anything like this place and to think it was all inside of a mountain-that's where he assumed he was considering the giant hole he fell through.

'No one will ever believe me about this.' Jaune didn't seem to mind that as he continued to walk.

Seeing a large wooden door, Jaune ran to open it only for a voice that wasn't Tatl's to speak up. "You've met with a terrible fate haven't you?"

Both Jaune and Tatl turned, startled by the sudden voice considering neither of them heard any footsteps or tell-tale signs of someone following them, to see an adult with red hair and long pointed ears, wearing an elegant purple robe with an over sized backpack over his shoulders, a lot of masks all around them.

With how big the bag was, Jaune wasn't sure how the man wasn't crushed by it-heck how did he even make it here considering the hell he went through in the last room.

Tatl once she regained her wits quickly hid behind Jaune, shivering in fear.

That was enough for Jaune to give the man a suspicious look.

"I own the Happy Mask Shop, I travel far and wide in search of masks," The man explained with a friendly smile. "During my travels, a very important mask was stolen from me by an imp in the woods."

Now Jaune relaxed a bit while understanding Tatl's fears. This man was a victim just like him and Tatl was worried he would recognize her.

"So here I am at a loss… And now I found you," The man said studying curiously. "Now don't think me rude but I've been following you."

' _Yeah because that's not creepy at all._ ' Jaune couldn't help but think, a bit unnerved by that.

The man's next words however caught his attention.

"For I know a way to return you to your former self," The Man cupped his chin with a smile seeing as how he had Jaune's complete and total attention. "If you can get back the precious item that was stolen from you, I will return you to normal."

Jaune gave an enthusiastic nod showing he understood that.

"In exchange all I ask is that you get back that precious mask that the imp stole from me." The man continued with Jaune giving another nod as it seemed fair. "Quite the simple task right? Why to someone like you it should be no means a difficult task… Except."

Now Jaune was worried about the 'catch' of this deal.

"The one thing is I'm a very busy fellow and I must leave this place in three days." The man said with Jaune understanding that part.

He had to get to Vale in five days to even try to get registered for Beacon so he knew he had to hurry.

"I would be extremely grateful if you could bring it back to me before my time here is up." The man was back to cupping his chin. "But yes… You'll be fine, I can see that you are young and have tremendous courage due to how you chased that imp here, I'm certain you'll find it in no time."

"T i." Jaune tried to say 'Got it' along with giving a nod showing he would do his best turning to exit the Clock Tower, being blinded momentarily by sunlight.

 _ **~Dawn of the First Day~**_

 _ **-72 Hours Remain-**_

Jaune blinked as they were now in the middle of a large town-in the middle of a plaza more likely with a lot of carpenters working.

Where were they-?

"He gives me the creeps!" Tatl said snapping Jaune out of his thoughts. "That Masked Salesmen was the… Sorry just thinking out loud. But three days? Even if we don't sleep that still leaves us with 72 hours to do this. Talk about demanding."

Jaune just shrugged while Tatl sighed.

"Well come on, we're going to see the Great Fairy, if anyone can help us out she will. She watches over everything." Tatl explained to the temporary Deku. "Just between you and me Skull Kid is no match for her."

Jaune tilted his head a bit as he was still having trouble processing what happened.

Fairy's, going through a mountain to end up in a town he's never even heard of? Being changed into a plant.

This was just weird.

"Go to the Shrine near the North Gate, you'll find the Great Fairy there." Tatl gave Jaune the directions but was willing to help him learn his way around Clock Town if he needed it.

So he walked around the town, his head just turning as he saw how small he was to other humans-or were they human? They had the long ears just like that Masked Salesman?

Were they some type of Faunus?

Putting that to the back of his mind, Jaune continued to walk-taking note of an owl statue that was nearby.

Eventually they came across a grassy plain in the North part of this town where Jaune saw a bunch of children playing, a single man in armor holding a spear guarding the way out of town and a cave at the end of the place.

' _Weird?_ ' Jaune thought before noticing that despite the sun being out there was a huge shadow so he looked up only to let out a girly scream in his Deku Form causing for Tatl to jump.

Following his gaze, Tatl saw a huge moon-like object high in the sky that appeared larger than this Clock Town in size and the scary part was that it had a freaking face with a large mouth that was gritting its teeth as if in pain and huge foreboding eyes.

"Okay that wasn't there yesterday" Tatl said concern in her tone. "Come on, we should see the Great Fairy now."

Jaune gave a nod of agreement wondering what was going on because last he checked the moon didn't have a face… Plus it was shattered so this really concerned him.

With that said Tatl flew at high speeds right towards the cave opening with Jaune in hot pursuit, stumbling as he did so.

On entering the cave, Tatl gave a short scream surprising Jaune as he saw at the end of the cave was a pond but there were quite a few small fairies. "T-The Great Fairy!"

These Fairies were bigger than Tatl and golden along with flying around frantically within the mountain.

Approaching them, Jaune stepped in the water feeling refreshed as he did so when the Fairies circled around him.

"Young one, please hear my plea," Jaune heard a voice in his head making him stiffen in slight fear. "I have been broken and shattered to pieces by the masked Skull Kid. Please find the one Stray Fairy lost in town and bring her to this Fairy Fountain."

"S-Skull Kid did this?" Tatl asked in disbelief as she heard the voice too. "B-But how?! He never had this sort of power before."

Jaune gave a low gulp.

This was extremely bad.

* * *

Two hours passed of running around Clock Town and they found nothing.

Tatl was the translator speaking with the locals while Jaune kept his eyes open for any Stray Fairy and despite their best efforts they came out empty-handed.

"Aw man just where is that Stray Fairy?" Tatl muttered being very frantic. "To think that Skull Kid is strong enough to shatter the Great Fairy, it's unthinkable."

Jaune nodded, a bit annoyed as Tatl kept repeating that under her breath but he didn't try to say anything due to how she was in shock and even if he did try he would just confuse her.

"You have any ideas Deku Boy?" Tatl asked Jaune frowning at the nickname wanting to scream his name was Jaune but he just shrugged.

Hey Tatl was the native here and he was the tourist how was he supposed to know?

"Wow you're really useless." Tatl muttered tactlessly.

That did it.

"T p!" Jaune screamed at Tatl to shut up and began to let out a string of curses that couldn't be understood.

Tatl just shook a bit as if she was rolling her eyes. "Then again it's not your fault." She muttered floating off.

Jaune just glared before he turned and walked off in the opposite direction.

Forget her, he'll find Skull Kid on his own.

Tatl turned and saw him stomping off and went to call out before scoffing. "Whatever he's slowing me down." She muttered flying off to find Tael.

It wasn't her fault that this Deku Boy was useless.

But as she continued to fly she thought about how despite what she did to him he did help her get out of there and turned back to where Jaune walked off towards some concern coursing through her.

* * *

' _Stupid, little._ ' Jaune seethed as he stomped through the town.

He was just fine until Tatl and her brother startled him, if they didn't do that he would be in Vale by now instead of stuck as this… What did she call it? A Deku?

Jaune took a deep breath to try and calm himself down, wincing as he was now able to think clearly.

Okay it might've been stupid to walk off when he didn't know this area or even how to communicate but he just couldn't stand being around Tatl any longer.

' _Who needs her?_ ' Jaune thought shaking his head and found that in his anger he stomped into a small lake-like area or rather a moat with a single house nearby and a fairy floating above the water-.

Jaune stopped and stared.

It was the Stray Fairy.

Giving a smile, Jaune went to run at the Fairy only to stop as he saw how deep the water was.

Normally that wouldn't bother Jaune but for some reason he was feeling fear in looking at the water.

It wasn't his fear though.

… Can this form swim?

Deciding to test it out, Jaune went to step in the water only to give a cry when he was launched a foot in the air and bounced in place five times before his feet broke through the surface.

Luckily his hands managed to grab the side of the moat and pulled himself to land with difficulty as his legs froze up in the water.

Okay so this form can't swim… But it can skip across the water?

Despite not being sure how that work, Jaune took a deep breath and gave a running start, skipping across the water as he grabbed the Stray Fairy who squeaked.

But then the Stray Fairy noticed how gently Jaune held her while hopping across the water and realized that this could be the chance she was waiting for.

"Please find a way to return me to Great Fairy Mountain in North Clock Town." The Stray Fairy pleaded right as Jaune made it to the other side of the moat feeling some pride.

Jaune gave a nod and turned to leave, the Stray Fairy taking refuge inside of his hood.

Exiting the area and seeing it was called the Laundry Pool for some odd reason, Jaune began to head into the direction he knew the Great Fairy Fountain was before hearing barking.

Jaune barely had time to react when a dog tackled him and pinned him to the ground.

Throwing up his arms in defense, Jaune gave a cry when the dog bit into his arms hearing a crack and reminding him that this form was made out of wood-... Wood!

That's how the water thing worked, wood floated for a bit but eventually sinks-oh crap he's made of wood and at the mercy of a dog.

"Get off of him!" Tatl came out of nowhere and tackled the dog, making it yelp. "Get out of here, shoo!"

She blew a raspberry at the dog as it whined and ran off.

"Damn furball." Tatl muttered before turning to Jaune. "You alright Deku Boy?"

Jaune blinked in surprise holding his now injured and cracked arm, standing up. "U me ck?" He asked trying to say 'You came back?'.

Tatl coughed in embarrassment giving a guess at what he was trying to say. "Well I made a deal remember? We're partners throughout this until we find Skull Kid," She said looking away. "And I don't plan on leaving a partner behind."

Jaune smiled before the Stray Fairy poked out of his hood. "Aw that's sweet."

Tatl gave a start. "Wait you found the Stray Fairy?!" She asked in surprise with Jaune giving a proud nod as she laughed to get rid of her shock. "Wow you are just full of surprises Deku Boy."

Jaune figured that was as close to a compliment as he would get from the Fairy before they made their way to the Fountain together.

* * *

Upon entering the small pool of water in the Fountain, Jaune gave a start as not only did his arm heal but the Stray Fairy shot out and joined with the others, creating a blinding flash of light before a single figure floated there with a laugh.

At that point Jaune had to stop himself from staring.

It was a beautiful woman with orange hair, amethyst eyes and fair skin the only thing covering her along with her… Assets, however were vines and he quickly averted his eyes.

You don't live with seven sisters and not learn to be polite in the company of a woman and he was pretty sure the confident pick up lines his Dad taught him wouldn't work here.

This lady was waaaaaay out of his league.

The Great Fairy smiled as she leaned forward looking a little amused as if she could tell what was going through Jaune's head at this moment. "Tatl and you one of altered shape, thank you for returning my broken and shattered body to normal. I am the Great Fairy of Magic."

"-ol." Jaune said in awe.

The Great Fairy gave a chuckle. "Thank you for the compliment," She said understanding him. "And if you want to talk, try from your throat instead of how you spoke as a human."

Jaune blinked and thought about it before he tried.

"-ke dis?"

It wasn't perfect but it was coherent.

"Yes you need to practice however." The Great Fairy said before Tatl made herself known.

"As much as I would love for Deku Boy to learn how to talk so we can communicate we need your help," Tatl said trying to make up for lost time. "We're trying to find the Skull Kid."

"Ah yes, I thought Skull Kid was helping me when he struck." The Great Fairy remarked, a tinge of annoyance in her tone at the memory. "As a result I grew careless and he took advantage of that to shatter me."

With a sigh, the Great Fairy turned as if she was sitting in a chair, her arms crossed across her chest.

"I do not know where he is at this moment," Just like that both Tatl and Jaune grew a little depressed. "But as thanks for returning me to normal, allow me to grant you Magic Power as a sign of gratitude."

Jaune barely had time to comprehend those words as energy flowed through him and he was lifted from the ground for a few seconds.

"Magic Power?" Jaune said actually talking and was proud of himself for that.

"I cannot take away your cursed form, but I can give you a better fighting chance." The Great Fairy elaborated to him.

"But it doesn't do us any good if we don't know where Skull Kid is." Tatl sighed, not being ungrateful but was even more worried for her brother.

"Better den nofink." Jaune tried to say and sighed.

He definitely needed more practice.

"Yeah, you're right." Tatl said with a nod before laughing. "It's great to actually understand you Deku Boy."

Jaune smiled before the Great Fairy gave another laugh. "If I may, I think I might have a solution," She said gaining their attention. "There's a man who lives in the observatory on the outskirts of town who may know the Skull Kid's whereabouts but be careful for you must never underestimate that child's powers, kind young one."

"Noted." Jaune said thinking back to what Skull Kid has shown to be capable of.

"If you ever return to your former shape, come see me," The Great Fairy told him. "I shall give you more help."

With another laugh the Great Fairy disappeared into the pond.

"Alright Deku Boy let's get going." Tatl went to fly off, but Jaune spoke.

"Jaune." He was happy to finally say his name.

"Huh?" Tatl looked at him.

"My name." Jaune spoke slowly to pronounce it correctly. "Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue-ladies love it."

… Okay maybe he should've left that last part out as Tatl just gave him a look.

"Do they?" She asked in amusement.

"Uh well my Mom always said-... Never mind." Jaune muttered in embarrassment.

"Alright Jaune," Tatl said shaking her head, trying not to laugh. "Come on we have an Observatory to get to."

* * *

"What do you mean you won't let us out?!" Tatl was in the Guard's face as the man kept Jaune from leaving. "We need to head to the Observatory!"

"I cannot allow for a child to exit the town without a weapon or an adult," The Guard said not even bothered by the screaming fairy. "It's been way too dangerous out there lately."

"I'm Seventeen!" Jaune commented trying to show he wasn't a child but the guard snorted.

"I know the age of a Deku Scrub child, you're no older than nine," The Guard said surprising Jaune as he didn't realize how old this form was. "Now go and play with the other kids."

"Damn it the Great Fairy sent us to head to the Observatory!" Tatl said not budging.

"Yes and I'm a magical Goron." The Guard said without missing a beat, his voice full of sarcasm.

'What was a Goron?' Jaune couldn't help but think before deciding it didn't matter.

"Tatl." Jaune said making the Fairy grumble.

"The nerve of that man, oh he's so important… Not!" Tatl muttered as they walked away.

"Is there anyway out of town?" Jaune asked curiously with Tatl shaking her head.

"No there are only four gates and each of them has a guard that will undoubtedly stop us for the same reason." Tatl said with a sigh. "So we're out of luck right now."

"We'll find a way, we got da Great Fairy back to normal and made it dis far," Jaune said looking at the Clock Tower that you can apparently see from anywhere in town and saw the time. "It's only three in da afternoon right now."

"Yeah, you know you're really getting the hang of speaking now that you know how to." Tatl commented.

"Quick learner, although my throat kind of hurts right now." Jaune rubbed it before stopping as his nose-er snout-whatever the hole is-began to itch.

"Well maybe we should get something to eat while we plan what to do-," Tatl was cut off right as Jaune let out a loud sneeze and a huge snot bubble shot from his snout flying through the air and hitting the wall. "Okay what the hell?!"

Tatl gave Jaune an incredulous look as he looked exhausted by that for some reason.

"Okay I might not be the experts on Deku Scrubs but that is not normal," Tatl said trying to figure out what that was. "And why are you exhausted all of a sudden-."

Then it clicked.

"You're Magic makes a snot bubble?" Tatl asked in a deadpanned tone.

"Don't ask me, I don't know how dis works." Jaune grumbled out sniffling.

Tatl shook her head before looking around and saw a kid trying to pop a balloon that oddly enough had Skull Kid's face on it. "Hey think you can do it again and aim for that balloon?"

Following her line of sight, Jaune smirked. "Gladly." He said imagining that as the real Skull Kid and focused as another snot bubble was forming becoming cross-eyed in the attempt before he fired it and amazingly enough it hit, exploding the balloon.

"Okay not so useless," Tatl said a bit impressed. "But it's still disgusting."

"Hey!" Jaune jumped and turned to see the kid who was aiming at the balloon approaching him, wearing a white shirt, blue shorts and a red cap. "You're the one who popped that balloon right?"

Jaune gave a slow nod as the kid laughed.

"Not bad for a Deku Scrub, the name's Jim."

"Jaune." Jaune said with Jim smiling.

"I couldn't help but overhear your problem with the guard." Jim said with Tatl muttering behind Jaune.

"I bet." She said knowing how Jim was nosy.

"Well we Bombers just so happen to have a hideout in town that leads to the Observatory outside of town." Jim said offhandedly making Jaune and Tatl brighten up as that was incredibly helpful. "You need a code to get in."

After a few seconds Jaune spoke. "So… Are you going to tell us da code?" He asked a bit hesitantly as Jim gained a smirk.

"Don't think you'll get it that easily you have to pass my test first." He said taking two fingers to his mouth and whistled.

Immediately four other kids dressed the same only wearing blue came in and lined up with Jim.

"The five of us will hide in different parts of the town," Jim explained to the now perplexed Jaune. "You have until sundown to find us and then we'll tell you the code-oh and Deku Nuts are unfair because of how bright they are so no using them."

They didn't even give Jaune or Tatl the chance to decline as all five of them took off in different directions.

"... Do we seriously have to play hide and seek with them?" Tatl asked in disbelief while Jaune hung his head a bit.

"We need to get to that Observatory so we need that code." Jaune reminded her.

"Fine but hurry we have less than three hours to find them." Tatl said with Jaune taking off to search for the Bombers.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

 _ **How's that for an opening of a story? Yes Jaune is Link in a way in this story as he kind of fits the criteria in the RWBY show. Blonde, blue-eyed, prefers to use a sword and a shield and is also a good, under-rated strategist.**_

 _ **Just not a good fighter-although that has changed quite a bit for him since the beginning.**_

 _ **And Remnant was once Hyrule-more will be explained on that once the Termina Arc is over and Jaune goes back there but right now Jaune is still the same as he was in Canon and will slowly change into a competent fighter-you'll see how soon.**_

 _ **As for him having the Ocarina of Time I figured that could be like a family heirloom-like how Crocea Mors is and Jaune is a descendant of the Link from Ocarina of Time if you look at it that way. Gorons, Deku's, Zora's, Kokiri's, Gerudo's, Anouki's, Koroks, Sheikahs and Rito's still exist in Remnant but they're currently in hiding.**_

 _ **And I know that it would throw in a wrench in the whole which timeline is this, let's just say that the Goddesses had a hand in trying to fix the whole divergent timeline that happened during Ocarina of Time and leave it at that for now.**_

 _ **Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will attempt to get more out to you soon.**_


	2. The End of the First Cycle

_**Chapter 02: The End of the First Cycle**_

"Say vat you want about dos kids, dey're good hiders." Jaune muttered, rubbing his wooden chin in thought.

It's been twenty minutes since they started this ridiculous game and they haven't seen hide nor hair of the Bomber kids.

"Oh I can say a lot about them but I won't," Tatl muttered mutinously but she was resigned to the fact that they had to do this before glancing at the Deku Boy. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm getting used to dis form." Jaune answered perfectly this time. "But I can't wait to be Human again."

"I can understand that," Tatl said as it has to be weird to just change species like that with no warning. "Still Jaune you're holding up pretty well considering."

Jaune gave a nod agreeing with her.

Then again he got all of his panicking out when he was first turned into a scrub as well as screaming his curses at Tatl before they formed a partnership.

Just thinking on that made Jaune surprised by how at ease they were with each other after only a few hours but he wasn't questioning it.

"Do you really fink dat Mask Salesman can really turn me back to normal?" Jaune asked curiously keeping his eyes peeled for the Bombers.

Tatl didn't answer immediately as she did doubt it but eventually gave a nod. "It's the only chance we have unless we convince Skull Kid to do so." She finally said earning a scoff from Jaune who didn't believe the masked imp would do that. While she didn't blame Jaune for feeling how he did against Skull Kid she still felt uneasy as she could clearly remember how he was before that mask.

Their conversation however was halted when they finally spotted one of the Bombers and Jaune took off towards him making the kid bolt in a fit of panic.

Catching him was pretty easy considering and from there it took barely an hour to find the other four-although he has to give them credit due to having to be creative with some of them-before they were back in the North part of Clock Town.

"Okay I admit it I'm impressed." Jim said crossing his arms. "Not bad for a scrub. If only you were human, then I could give you an original Bomber's Notebook and make you a member."

Jaune blinked surprised at the 'racist' sounding comment from this kid.

Seeing his surprise Jim quickly elaborated. "It's nothing against Scrubs it's just that we let a kid join our gang once that wasn't human and boy did we regret it," He said a sad look on his face while the other Bombers shuddered from the memories. "But I'll teach you the code just like I promised, so pay attention."

With that said they all turned around to show numbers on their backs making Jaune blink.

In the order they were standing the code was 23145.

That was… An interesting way to share a numbered password.

"Just say this order of numbers and our guard will let you in." Jim said giving a wave at Jaune before glancing up at the sky. "We should go though it's getting late."

As the Bombers left, Tatl sighed. "Well at least that's done with," She said sounding relieved. "Now we can get to the Observatory."

A loud rumbling made Tatl pause and look at the now embarrassed Jaune who held his stomach.

"Right none of us have eaten all day and I doubt you have any rupees to buy anything."

"Rupees?" Jaune asked curiously.

"Gems that are the currency here."

On hearing that, Jaune recalled the green gem and pulled it out. "Like dis?"

Tatl looked surprised. "That's a Rupee alright, but it's only one Rupee you won't buy anything with one Rupee."

"So it's da equivalent of one Lien." Jaune muttered.

That earned a curious look from Tatl. "Lien?"

"Da currency of Remnant." Jaune elaborated with a confused look. "You know da whole world?"

"Remn-No this is Termina."

"... Vat?" Jaune asked slowly.

What did she mean by that?

"Later, right now we should find some more Rupees for you." Tatl said as she felt like this could take forever. "Tomorrow we'll head to the Observatory alright?"

"Fine by me."

Much to Jaune's surprise, Tatl brought him to a field of grass. "Alright destroy the grass."

"... I repeat, vat?"

"Rupees can be found anywhere, in grass, in rocks, in some monsters it's part of the mystical properties to them and it's why Termina runs on them as anyone can find them." Tatl explained to him. "No one is sure how it works but it's been this way for centuries."

"So I can find money by destroying grass?" Jaune asked slowly.

Seeing Tatl nod, Jaune sighed and looked towards the grass.

Well everything else has been crazy so why not?

Still how would he cut this tall grass when he doesn't have his sword-?

Jaune suddenly went still, his stance going slack-this somewhat concerned Tatl a bit. "Uh Jaune? You alright?"

Instead of answering, Jaune ran at the grass as if on auto-pilot and spun around, the back of his hood emitting a spike much to Tatl's surprise slicing through the grass knocking Rupee's out.

Well that answered what happened to his sword at least.

Stumbling a bit from the 'spin attack' he did, Jaune shook his head. "Whoa, nice job Jaune." Tatl commented, watching as Jaune began to grab the Rupee's only to hold a blue one in confusion. "Right Rupee's also come in different colors to show variation. Green is the lowest amount meaning 1 Rupee, Blue is Five Green Rupees, follow me so far?"

Jaune gave a nod finding that interesting and knew he had to learn this so he could get by until he gets back home.

"Red equals 20 Rupees while Purple means 50," Tatl explained seeing how Jaune was really getting into the explanation. "Finally you have the Silver Rupees that are worth 100."

"Huh." Jaune mused grabbing the Rupee's they found and pretty soon had 45 Rupees, enough for a meal if what Tatl said was correct. "And they're just lying around?"

"Like I said no one knows how that works, it's been this way for as long as I remember." Tatl said with Jaune deciding to go along with it for now.

If anything this is starting to sound like Dust only it's currency rather than special weaponry.

* * *

 _ **~Dawn of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-48 Hours Remain-**_

Jaune woke up feeling stiff as rain was pattering on the rooftops, he took refuge inside of a vacant Deku Flower outside of the Inn before he shot himself out, stretching his small limbs.

Tatl yawned inside of his hood, not coming out due to the rain. "Morning already?" She muttered tiredly.

"Ugly weather." Jaune answered looking at the sky, seeing some lightning flashes. "Still we can't afford to waste any time."

"Right, we have one more day after today." Tatl agreed, knowing that it would be a miracle if they accomplished their task, still they were doing good so far despite the bumps on the way. "The hideout was in East Clock Town right?"

"You know the way?" Jaune asked with Tatl giving a ringing nod.

"Just follow my directions."

Pretty soon they were standing in front of a narrow alleyway where a kid dressed like a 'Bomber' was standing. "Code?" He asked in a bored tone.

Taking a deep breath, Jaune spoke slowly to avoid mispronouncing anything "23145."

While he might be much better than the other day he was still sure he would slip up by accident.

The kid looked surprised before giving a nod and moving to the side. "Be careful in there, there have been sightings of Skulltulas recently."

"S-S-Skulltulas?" Tatl asked taking a nervous tone confusing Jaune. "Uh Jaune you sure this is the only way?"

"It's da only way we know of so we have to risk it." Jaune answered walking down the narrow slope, entering what looked to be the Sewers only it was actually pretty clean much to his surprise. "Vat's with you?"

"I'd just rather not be a Skulltula's meal." Tatl said quivering under the hood. "They aren't anything to take lightly."

"Is it a form of Grimm?"

"... What's a Grimm?" That made Jaune stop in disbelief.

"You don't know vat a Grimm is?" He asked in surprise with Tatl giving a nod, the movement felt by Jaune. "Where da heck did I end up?"

Different currency, this place was apparently called Termina by the locals and now no creatures of Grimm?

Did he end up in another world or something-? Wait no creatures of Grimm.

That actually sounds pretty nice but he was a bit unsure given how Tatl seemed to be afraid of this Skulltula.

"If it vas yesterday I would agree with you but don't forget I have magic now-can't believe I just said dat, and I can use my spin attack," Jaune said feeling confident as they continued. "I'll protect us."

"Somehow I'm not that reassured." Tatl muttered but she did feel a little better.

Jaune however heard that and resisted the urge to sigh.

He'll protect them? What was he saying?

He could barely fight as a human how could he do so as a Deku?

Even with the magic and the spin attack he wasn't used to using them.

If anything he was beginning to wonder if coming through here was a bad idea but he frowned in determination.

No. If he backed out now, if he didn't go through here he has no right to go to Beacon Academy.

… Well technically he has no right because of the forged transcripts but that wasn't the point.

He has to do this.

Surprisingly however the two were getting through the sewers with little to no trouble at all, being careful to avoid the water unless they had to go across and even then they only had to judge the distance due to Jaune's skipping ability.

"Look out!" Tatl warned barely giving Jaune enough time to jump back as a large skeleton-like spider landed on the ground making him think it was a Grimm before he realized some very key differences.

No red markings and the skeleton part was pretty much an exoskeleton instead of armor.

"That's a Skulltula, it's exoskeleton is tough but it has a weak underbelly." Tatl warned as it lunged at him, leaving Jaune to quickly dive out of the way, skipping across the water.

However the Skulltula shot a strand of webbing, snagging Jaune by the arm and pulled him back before he hit the wall.

Stumbling as he stood up, Jaune ducked and rolled right as the Skulltula attempted to bite his head off.

He made it to his feet and began to run with the Skulltula in hot pursuit, dodging and weaving around the webs shot at him.

He might've said he would protect them but that was a big spider.

It was literally bigger than him and he had to go for it's underbelly?

That's suicide in this cramped space, no he needs to lead it to a more open space so he could have room to move.

Then he'll fight if it's still chasing him.

There was no way he was leaving it here when those Bomber Children come in-.

Bomb.

Just like that, Jaune remembered the Deku Nuts he had and a plan formed in his mind before he found himself in a very open space with a large balloon floating above a ladder.

Coming to a stop, Jaune spun to give the lunging Skulltula a reason to back up as the spike barely missed it.

Even while feeling a bit dizzy, Jaune quickly put the space between them.

' _Alright focus even if it's an animal it must have a pattern it follows._ ' Jaune reminded himself despite his heart pounding against his wooden chest.

If he was still human he might've just ran at it with his sword, but no he had to be smart here.

One wrong move and it would be all over.

Reaching into his pocket, Jaune felt his small hand clasp around the Deku Nut and his round mouth quirked a bit to show a smirk.

Tired of waiting the Skulltula lunged and that was when Jaune reacted throwing the Deku Nut to the ground, emitting a loud noise along with a flash-the Skulltula crying in agony while Jaune had some spots in his eyes but he could see it was stumbling.

So he quickly used his magic to hit it with a snot bubble, aiming for its leg, making it slip up to land on its face, revealing it's underbelly.

Knowing he had one shot, Jaune ran forward and lunged, spinning as he did so his head spike piercing through its underbelly, killing it as the spider erupted in flames, disappearing, leaving a blue Rupee.

"Whoa." Tatl flew out of Jaune's hood looking a bit awed. "Man I thought we were in big trouble but you took it down no problem, nice job Deku-."

She turned to speak to Jaune only to notice how he was shaking badly.

"H-Hey Jaune what's wrong?" Tatl asked, concern showing in her tone.

Jaune however didn't hear her as he was almost hyperventilating before he began to take deep breaths, trying desperately to calm himself down.

"Jaune was that your first kill?" Tatl asked softly guessing the answer.

Slowly Jaune gave a nod.

But he was confused.

Yes that was his first kill, but he's seen the Creatures of Grimm before as his Sisters had killed them, so why was he so scared of this? He shouldn't be this scared. Was it because he was trapped as a nine year old Deku?

He wanted to cry but he refused to because he wasn't a baby.

Tatl flew down to his chest and floated there. "Jaune, it was a do or die situation," She said softly, seeing the transformed Deku Boy like this-shaking and quivering-reminded her of when she and Tael met Skull Kid. "It was either that thing or us."

"I-I know." Jaune said his voice uneven.

"If you want we can take a break here." Tatl offered as there wasn't any more trouble.

Even if they needed to hurry, she knew that Jaune needed time to process this and was grateful that there weren't any more Skulltula's nearby because no doubt they would take advantage of his shocked state.

"I-... I." Jaune's shoulders shook before he felt Tatl against his chest.

That alone was enough to break him from his fear as he couldn't believe Tatl was doing that as she didn't seem to be the type to do so, but he didn't care.

"Fank you." Jaune whispered his small arms embracing the little fairy lightly to avoid hurting her.

It took a bit for him to calm down before he let go looking a little embarrassed.

"Sorry for breaking down like dat." Jaune muttered knowing they lost precious time. "Come on."

"You sure?" Tatl asked with Jaune using his Bubble magic to destroy the balloon above the ladder to show the doorway.

"Yeah, I am." Jaune said climbing the ladder.

As they entered the dark hall, the two began to hear light music and eventually found themselves in a brightly colored room that made Jaune hissed in pain as it was a sudden change from the dark sewer so it took a moment for his eyes to adjust.

"Is dis vat it feels like to be high?" Jaune asked as the walls changed from stone walls to having swirling neon colors with various papers scattered all across the floor before he saw a set of stairs.

This was all in a sewer?

"Come on," Tatl said flying up the stairs, Jaune having to follow her his stubby legs making it so that he literally had to climb and pull himself up the stairs. "I wonder how this Astronomer knows Skull Kid?"

"I vonder if it vould kill him to install an elevator." Jaune muttered in annoyance as he kept climbing up.

Eventually he made it to the top to see an elderly man with gray hair reaching his shoulders wearing a blue robe and hat making him look like a scholar, using a giant telescope.

Hearing them, he turned and looked pleasantly surprised. "Visitors? If I knew you were coming I would've had some tea prepared." He said not minding that they are technically trespassing. "I take it you're a friend of the Bombers?"

"Something like that," Tatl said speaking for Jaune. "We came here to speak with you sir."

"Hm, you are much more polite than those of your mischievous friend the other day." The man said thinking back to his last visitor before letting out a humorless laugh. "That ill-mannered trouble maker said that he'd break my precious instruments. He said he'd steal my Moon's Tear, there was no stopping him."

Despite preparing to ask if this 'visitor' was Skull Kid, Jaune paused. "Moon's Tear?" He asked his voice making the man smile as he nodded his head to a nearby display case where the Deku saw a large blue crystal in the shape of a tear.

"It's a lunar rock that occasionally falls from the eyes of the moon." The man explained with Jaune showing interest because that was pretty cool to hear. "Still that troublemaker, I was just watching him, he's at the Clock Tower."

That caught Jaune's attention. "He is?!"

"Oh do you want to see?" The man asked taking a step back, but placing a stool there so Jaune could climb up to look and it was indeed Skull Kid standing on the top of the Clock Tower looking right at him.

Jaune tensed at that as Skull Kid tilted his head as if he knew exactly who was watching him before looking up at the moon.

Feeling curious, Jaune followed his gaze only to realize something alarming.

The moon was closer than it was the other day.

' _Is that normal for this world?_ ' Jaune thought in a panic, unsure if it was normal or not.

Switching back to Skull Kid, Jaune was not amused when he saw the kid shaking his butt at the telescope in a mocking manner before disappearing by jumping down showing he was hiding out inside of the Clock Tower.

' _I know where you are now._ ' Jaune thought determination on his face as he took a step back.

Seeing that, Tatl hovered near him. "I take it you found him?"

"The top of Clock Tower." Jaune said looking at her.

Just like Tatl's wings drooped. "Oh that might be a problem, it's too tall for you to be able to get in, I mean I can fly up there easily but I can't exactly carry you up there." She said with Jaune seeing what she meant. "And I can't exactly get your Ocarina back."

"And even if she was able to get you up there, you wouldn't be able to get in," The man said making Jaune jump as in the excitement of finally finding Skull Kid he forgot he was there. "The doors of the Tower are sealed shut to keep people from messing with it, however it opens once every year during the Carnival of Time which is actually tomorrow."

Jaune blinked before realizing he had one day to figure out how to get up there in his current form. One day to make a plan.

If he didn't he would be stuck here for a whole year.

 _ **-BOOM-**_

A loud noise outside made Jaune and Tatl jump while the man hummed in thought.

"Sounds like another Moon's Tear fell right outside of the Observatory," The man said looking at Jaune. "Do you want it? I already have one after all."

Despite looking surprised, Jaune gave a nod.

He still has a day, plus if he gets his Ocarina back-no… When he gets it back he wants a bit of a souvenir.

So he walked towards the door that the man pointed to and walked out to see a smoking crater and Jaune took the moment to appreciate the nature around them as there was a large fence-most likely to keep the wildlife out as he saw a snowy mountain nearby making him blink.

It was warm, so why was a snowy mountain in sight?

Shaking his head, Jaune walked towards the crater where the smoke was beginning to disappear to see the Moon's Tear as he slowly reached for it. Surprisingly it felt cool to the touch instead of heated but that could be because of how his body worked right now given he wasn't flesh and bone at the moment.

"Wow it's pretty looking." Tatl said flying around it while Jaune gave a nod. "What are you going to do with it?"

"I'll cross dat bridge vhen I come to it," Jaune answered walking back in where he saw the man waiting with a small pouch that he gave the Deku. "Uh fanks?"

"I noticed you were missing a gear bag," The man said making Jaune blink. "It's a common necessity in Termina that allows for people to hold many items they find useful, I think you'd rather have that instead of carrying that around which is just asking to be robbed."

Jaune gave a nod accepting the bag gratefully, opening it up to see that there was literally no bottom.

' _What is this hammerspace?_ ' Jaune asked in complete confusion wondering how it worked as it felt like something out of a cartoon or a videogame.

… Oh right Magic existed in this world.

So he placed the Moon's Tear inside and despite how it was bigger than the bag it went in easily.

This was amazing.

"Thank you sir, this is really helpful." Tatl said a bit amused at how easily Jaune was impressed by this common item.

She didn't think about the fact he didn't have one though.

"It's no trouble at all, you two were an amusing distraction from my day-to-day activities," The man said a kind smile on his face. "A welcomed one."

"Fank you uh-." Jaune not looked sheepish as he realized he didn't know the man's name.

Seeing the problem, the man laughed. "You can call me Shikashi."

"Alright, I'm Jaune." Jaune said shaking hands with the man before they left the Observatory.

* * *

 _ **~Night of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-36 Hours Remain-**_

"So da moon being closer isn't normal?" Jaune asked a bit fearfully with Tatl giving a nod, the two of them taking cover underneath the porch roof of the Inn as the rain picked up.

"No it isn't, this is really worrying." Tatl said concern in her tone for what was happening. "I mean the moon having a face is normal but seeing it during the day and seeing it this close? That isn't."

After a second she looked at Jaune.

"What was it like in Remnant?"

"Didn't you see it vhile you vere dere?" Jaune asked in surprise.

Tatl shook her head. "No we were never there, I think you somehow crossed over into our world rather than us going into yours, that forest is a part of Termina."

Jaune blinked a bit surprised by that.

If that was true then why did he find it?

Shaking his head, Jaune looked up. "Da Moon back home is shattered, it's still dere but not fully." He answered with Tatl tilting herself as if in thought.

"So it's like how the Great Fairy was the other day?" Tatl asked with Jaune giving a nod. "Wow, that's a scary thought."

Jaune agreed with her.

Silence descended upon the two before Tatl broke it again. "Hey do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Jaune looked happy to have the conversation going.

"What exactly were you doing out in the forest?" Tatl looked at the Deku. "I mean it was the middle of the night after all, I was surprised that anyone was out there."

"I vas on my vay to Vale," Jaune answered with Tatl feeling confused. "It's a Kingdom on Remnant and from dere I vas going to enter Beacon Academy, I need to be dere in three days now."

"So you were heading for a school?" Tatl looked surprised while Jaune gave a nod.

"A school for Huntsmen and Huntresses," Jaune said some excitement in his tone. "Protectors of Humanity from the Creatures of Grimm."

"Huh you just keep surprising me Deku Boy." Tatl said not expecting that, guessing these 'Grimm' were like the monsters that plague Termina. "So you're a warrior?"

On hearing that, the excitement in Jaune deflated. "Not really, I vas heading dere to learn more about it," He confessed leaving out the forged transcripts part. "I come from a family of Heroes and vell I have a lot on my shoulders."

Mostly because he wanted to prove he could be as good of a Huntsmen as his parents and Sisters, but being the youngest made everyone very overprotective which was why he hasn't received much training.

Tatl went quiet before she spoke. "Do you have any siblings?" She asked curiously.

"Seven sisters."

That made Tatl give a start at him. "S-Seven?!" She nearly shouted while Jaune gave a shrug.

"I'm da youngest."

"Geez I can barely deal with one sibling," Tatl said shaking a bit before she continued. "Well I'm the oldest sibling with Tael, the two of us were inseparable growing up."

As she said that, Tatl looked down with Jaune giving a sympathetic look.

"Hey ve'll find him, he's with Skull Kid right?" Jaune asked but that just made Tatl feel worse.

"That's exactly what I'm worried about." Tatl then shook her head. "That's enough talk, we should get some rest."

 _ **~Dawn of the Third Day~**_

 _ **-24 Hours Remain-**_

Jaune sighed looking up at the Clock Tower from the ground, Tatl behind him. "There has to be a way up there." He said nothing but determination on his face.

He had one chance, he can't screw this up.

"I'm certain there is but have you noticed something odd?" Tatl was looking around her question made Jaune frown as he knew what she was talking about.

Clock Town was practically a Ghost Town right now with only a few people out and about, there was a pretty big evacuation as the moon was even closer, almost breaking orbit at this point so everyone was scared it would fall while the people who stayed didn't believe that nonsense.

Truth be told, Jaune was scared completely out of his mind because Tatl told him if by any chance this moon did fall, the impact would be enough to destroy everything for miles. There wasn't a safe distance from this and the people who evacuated wouldn't make it.

This was basically an apocalyptic-end of the world scenario and he was rightfully scared out of his mind.

Tearing his eyes from the empty town, Jaune paused at seeing a golden Deku Flower and his eyes lit up looking from it to the Clock Tower, his actions bringing it to Tatl's attention.

"Jaune you're a genius." Tatl said seeing that he figured out how to get up there.

Still he needed to practice so he ran towards it only for a voice to cry out. "Wait! Wait! Hang on!" Nearly jumping, Jaune saw an older Deku flying by his own power, carrying bags before landing on the flower, depositing the bags inside of it, giving Jaune a stern glare. "This is my private property, don't try using it when I'm not around."

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" Tatl got in his face. "It's an emergency."

"Don't care." The Deku said not intimidated while Jaune quickly broke in while Tatl flew to the side letting out a string of curses that would make a seasoned Huntsmen blush.

"Is dere anyvay we can make a compromise?" He asked pleadingly.

"Screw compromise! I say we get the Great Fairy to help us kick this Deku where sun doesn't shine." Tatl said venomously.

Giving a glare at Tatl, the older Deku frowned as he saw a pleading face on Jaune which was the equivalent of the puppy dog eyes to Deku's and the tone of desperation he was using.

Just what did he need this flower for?

Still he asked for a compromise.

"I'm looking to give something to my wife," The Deku said slowly his words making Tatl pause in her rant. "I heard tales of a Moon's Tear that shines brighter than any lands, tell you what kid you get me one and I'll give you the deed to this place."

Truth be told he felt he was asking too much of the kid with how his shoulders sagged but the Deku was surprised when Jaune opened his bag and pulled a Moon's Tear out.

' _There goes my souvenir._ ' Jaune thought but decided it didn't matter.

What did matter was getting to Skull Kid.

Getting over his shock, the Deku pulled out a paper showing the deed and handed it over. "A deal is a deal, this spot is now yours," He said taking the Moon's Tear. "Thanks kid you just helped me get my wife the greatest gift anyone can give her."

With that said he dove into the Flower before shooting out to fly off, his bags in his hands.

"At least that's out of the way." Tatl said relief in her tone.

The ground began to shake with Jaune stumbling, trying to catch his footing while Tatl now looked scared and looked up.

"It's the moon, it's too close and causing the land to act like this." Tatl said as the earthquakes were only beginning.

"You really think it'll open?" Jaune asked pointing towards the doors on the upper part of the tower. "With da town almost abandoned I vouldn't be surprised if it stayed closed."

"Don't say that," Tatl got in his face before saying in a small voice. "Please don't, it has to work."

With everything going on she just wants to find her brother.

Jaune gave a nod and they waited, sitting on a bench near the flower knowing that there was nothing more they can do until it was midnight.

As they waited, Jaune thought back to his family.

How were they doing? Were they worried about him?

… Would he ever see them again?

Jaune couldn't help those thoughts because with each passing second he would look up at the moon and be reminded at how small he truly was while the hours passed by.

Eventually it was time but it was the longest wait of Jaune's life as he was plagued with so many what-if's and fears before the Clock Tower began to chime and he could see the door opening.

"Come on." Tatl said flying up there, Jaune right behind her as he used the Deku Flower to fly higher than ever and barely made it when the flowers gave out.

Landing on his feet, Jaune began to run up the stairs and eventually made it to the top where Skull Kid himself floated in clear view, tossing the Ocarina in the air and catching, his mask giving him more of an ominous look.

"Skull Kid!" Jaune shouted making the guy look at him.

"You again? I have to say your persistence is getting on my nerves." Skull Kid drawled out, his mannerisms a lot different than they were three days ago. "I'm actually impressed you survived for so long to get up here."

"Skull Kid you're going too far." Tatl said looking at him, praying he would listen. "Come on we can talk about this."

"Talk? What is there to talk about?" Skull Kid asked and Jaune could just hear the smirk in his tone. "Especially after my handywork."

As he said that, Skull Kid looked up at moon and just like that it clicked what he meant.

"Y-You did this?" Tatl asked in pure shock.

"Sis!" Tael flew out from behind Skull Kid with Tatl immediately paying more attention to him.

"Tael get away from him!"

Tael didn't listen, instead he spoke in a hurry. "Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon." He began confusing everyone except for Skull Kid who was slowly turning towards him. "Hurry, the four who are there, bring them here-."

He was cut off when Skull Kid backhanded him, sending him flying a bit away. "Shut up you stupid fairy, don't speak out of line."

"Tael!" Tatl looked very concerned before glaring at Skull Kid. "Do you think you're still our friend after that?!"

Skull Kid looked like he could care less. "As if that matters when this falls."

"Are you insane?!" Jaune shouted looking at him incredulously. "Vhen dat hits da ground everyone vill die, dat includes you too!"

"So what?"

The cold, callous way he said that took Jaune by surprise. "V-Vat?"

"I said so what?" Skull Kid repeated in a sinister tone, the words shocking Tatl who never heard him like this before. "Life is fleeting, fragile, it doesn't really matter, in fact I'm doing everyone a favor by snuffing out their existence."

Jaune took a step back at hearing that.

That was… There was no reason for this madness, this evil act that Skull Kid was doing, he wasn't doing this for revenge or a simple motive.

He was doing this simply because he could.

His knees were shaking as the gravity of the situation began to sink in.

He was witnessing the beginning of genocide.

' _Where are the Huntsmen and Huntresses when you need them?_ ' Jaune thought praying that one would magically show up and stop Skull Kid.

That's what heroes do right?

But they weren't here… This wasn't Remnant and the only one who knew what was going on was him.

' _You wanted to be a Huntsmen._ ' Jaune reminded himself trying desperately to calm himself down. ' _Even if this was far from what you have in mind and this isn't Remnant, people will die._ '

He was scared, he wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

But that wouldn't help.

"I von't let you!" Jaune shouted out and just like that Skull Kid just looked at him, not even throwing the Ocarina up, silence descending around them. "I'll stop you."

"Jaune?" Tatl looked at him as Tael managed to fly back looking injured but staying away from Skull Kid.

"You… Won't let me?" Skull Kid asked his shoulders shaking as snickers began to escape. "You think you can stop me?"

The snickers turned into full blown laughter at what he was hearing.

"Hahahahahahahaha, oh man you're actually serious?" Skull Kid asked laughing even harder. "You trapped in the body of a Deku Scrub Child, you have no weapons and even if you had them you have no idea how to use them."

As he said that, Jaune's courage began to dwindle knowing he was right.

"What? You think you're the hero of this story? You think that you'll magically win and get a happy ending for these people?" Skull Kid asked in amusement, his laughter dying down. "How cute, I'll let you in on a little secret."

Skull Kid floated a little closer.

"They're just stories, there are no heroes. No matter what you do you can't save everyone," Skull Kid then smirked under his mask and tensed. "But if you want to try."

A second barely passed before Jaune felt pain and he was thrown across the floor, as Skull Kid launched an energy bolt faster than he can blink before Jaune was lifted into the air as Skull Kid grabbed him.

"Pathetic, I'm not even trying here." Skull Kid mocked throwing Jaune right to the floor where he cried out in pain. "And you thought you could stop me?"

"Jaune!" Tatl flew towards him in concern as Jaune was struggling to push himself up.

His mind was fighting with his fear and what he knew was right as he looked up at Skull Kid who shook his head.

"I don't know what's worse, your persistence or your delusions of grandeur." Skull Kid said with a laugh, back to throwing the Ocarina up into the air while Jaune climbed back up to his feet.

"Doesn't matter it ends anyway if you succeed," Jaune said aloud-mostly to try and gather his courage. "What do I have to lose?"

"I suppose you have a point," Skull Kid mused his hand lighting up. "How about I make it quick for you since you've been so entertaining?"

With that he prepared an energy bolt and shot it at Jaune, aiming for where his heart would be but something else happened.

"Skull Kid!" Tael flew in the way despite Tatl's cries when she saw that, her baby brother taking the hit that would've hit both Jaune and Tatl, skidding across the ground as his light was getting weaker.

"Tael, what were you thinking?!" Tatl flew towards him in a frenzy. "J-Just hold on, we'll get you some help."

No answer came as Tatl grew more worried.

"Tael, no please." Tatl whispered nudging him as the light completely died. "No, no, no."

"So the stupid fairy decided to end his pathetic life?" Skull Kid asked his voice making Tatl look up.

"Skull Kid how could you?!" Tatl shouted at him. "You were our friend, we treated you like family."

"Simple, because none of this matters." Skull Kid taunted with Jaune looking at Tael in pure shock.

The fairy took the shot for him… Because he wasn't strong enough Tael died.

Anger clouded Jaune's mind as he glared at Skull Kid who looked amused again.

"You really don't know when to quit do you kid?" Skull Kid asked rhetorically. "I think I'll end this."

With that he looked up in the sky and screamed, raw power coursing off of him before stopping. At first Jaune was confused before he noticed with worry that the moon was now falling towards them.

They had five minutes before it would hit.

Seeing Skull Kid laughing himself silly, Jaune narrowed his eyes wanting to knock the smugness out of him and remembered his gift from the Great Fairy.

So with focus, he fired a snot bubble at Skull Kid covering him in it making his laughter turn to coughs of disgust while the Ocarina fell from his grip, clattering on the ground. On auto-pilot, not even thinking of what he was doing, Jaune ran and grabbed the Ocarina, a memory going through his head.

 _ **~Eight Years Ago~**_

A nine year old Jaune groaned as he sat on a tree stump, while a man in his early forties chuckled, looking like Jaune with the addition of a beard, his blue eyes twinkling as he was playing a carved Ocarina.

"Am I boring you Jaune?" The man asked.

Jaune looked down guiltily at being caught. "N-No Dad, it's just, why can't you teach me how to use Crocea Mors?" He asked as the weapon was currently sheathed, next to his father. "I want to be a hero like you."

On hearing that, Mr. Arc frowned and placed his homemade Ocarina down so he could kneel next to Jaune. "Son, the world isn't all about heroes, there are other avenues you can take, the Arc family has given Remnant plenty of heroes," He said ruffling Jaune's hair. "Just be happy, I mean four of your sisters aren't warriors and they're happy."

"Happy? Dad, you're a retired Huntsmen, Mom was a Huntress. The other three of my sister's are either Huntresses or in the military, why can't I be like them?" Jaune asked looking at him.

"Like them or like me?" Mr. Arc quietly asked seeing Jaune's lip quiver as he always told stories of his adventures as a Huntsman, clearing out Grimm and his old team, even his three older sisters did that with their adventures.

It was no wonder Jaune wanted to follow in their footsteps, but he and his wife couldn't afford to let another one of their children follow in their footsteps, it was that way after they nearly lost their fourth child which was why they put a stop to their remaining five children becoming like them.

Jaune was their youngest and their hearts couldn't take the idea of him putting himself in danger like that. Instead however, Mr. Arc gained an idea. "Follow me."

Blinking in surprise, Jaune got off the stump as his Dad led him into the house and into the attic where he pulled out a box, blowing the dust off of it.

"Here you go," He said with a smile. "Open it."

Now wondering what this was, Jaune opened the box to see a beautifully crafted blue Ocarina. "Huh?"

"This Ocarina has been passed down in the family for generations, long before we were the Arcs." Mr. Arc said showing that their family line went very deep in history. "It's more of a family heirloom than Crocea Mors is and I want you to have it."

"Y-You're giving me this?" Jaune asked in awe looking up at his Dad as even if it wasn't anything to do with being a Huntsman, he could tell this was a priceless instrument.

"I am, now come on."

Moments later they were outside as Mr. Arc mused which songs he learned growing up to teach Jaune before snapping his fingers. "How about I teach you the Song of Time?"

"The what?" Jaune asked not expecting that.

"Like the Ocarina, many songs have been passed down with it. Bolero of Fire, Minuet of Forest, Saria's Song, but one of the most renowned one is the Song of Time," Mr. Arc said his eyes twinkling as he raised his Ocarina. "Pay attention to my fingers and repeat after me."

 _ **~Present Time~**_

Jaune snapped out of his memory looking at his Ocarina.

Why did he remember that-?

"Hey snap out of it! We need to go." Tatl said looking at Jaune despite knowing fully well that they wouldn't be able to get out of this. "Someone help us! Anyone?! I'll even take the Goddess of Time at this point."

Time.

Goddess.

Ocarina of Time.

Those words flashed through Jaune's mind before he tightened his grip on the Ocarina and went to raise it to his lips, only for it to shine and the Ocarina manifested itself into a pair of Deku Pipes looking like a tuba with five different horns, the act of this happening surprising Tatl.

"What are you-?" Tatl asked with Jaune beginning to play the Song of Time. "Are you seriously doing this right now?!"

As he played, power began to gather in Jaune while Skull Kid finally freed himself of the Snot Bubble and glowered. "You'll pay for that." He snarled flying right at Jaune when he hit the last note.

Immediately a bright light filled the area and then… Nothing.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

 _ **Alright I'll be ending this here-I think it's pretty obvious what happened to those who played the game but I hope you enjoyed the characterization as well as the twists and turns. Who was caught off guard when Tael died? I think that shows how dark this story will get especially because Majoras Mask is one of the darkest LOZ games out there. So expect it to get darker and you can bet that Jaune's character will change by the time we get into the RWBY Arc. It's already starting to change due to everything that's going on.**_

 _ **Besides that I wanted to add a bit more to Majora's Character, especially when he's still possessing Skull Kid and show just how outmatched Jaune was in this encounter.**_

 _ **Now let me get to the reviews.**_

 _ **Justsomeguy: Thanks, it was one of my favorite LOZ games out there-the second one I played right after Ocarina of Time, back on the N64, I really enjoyed typing this so far.**_

 _ **Z-END99: Thank you, I hope you continue to enjoy this story.**_


	3. Making a Plan

_**Chapter 03: Making a Plan**_

 _ **~Dawn of the First Day~**_

 _ **-72 Hours Remain-**_

The first thing Jaune did when he open his eyes was blink in astonishment.

Clock Town was no longer deserted, there were people walking around, it was day time. Nothing bad was happening.

"W-What just?" Tatl seemed to be in the same boat as Jaune in being astonished. "But we just-?"

She was at a loss for words it seems.

"Everything just… Started over?"

On hearing that Jaune ran in the middle of the town square and looked up, Tatl following close behind as they saw the Moon back in the same position it was on the first day there.

"Wha-... What are you anyways?!" Tatl finally asked not sure what was going on. "That song you played… That instrument."

Then she froze.

"That instrument!" She repeated now looking from Jaune towards the lower part of the Clock Tower where the Mask Salesman was. "He said if you got your precious item back he can turn you back to normal."

"Do you fink it vill vork?" Jaune asked curiously checking his bag that Shikashi gave him to see that the Ocarina was in there.

"What do we have to lose?" Tatl asked before quieting down. "I-If everything started over does that mean that Tael-?"

She went quiet the image of Tael dying going through her mind before Jaune reached out and gently placed his wooden hand on where her head was. "I'm certain he's alive." Jaune said feeling relief. "If ve started it over dat means it hasn't happened."

Still just how did that happen?

… Better question.

Just what type of Ocarina was this?

While he was truly curious, Jaune felt that it could be answered after he gets turned back to Human, so without another word he headed for the lower Clock Tower level with Tatl flying behind him lost in thought.

She wanted to believe that Tael was alive again but she can't until she sees it for herself.

* * *

"Oh back so soon?" The Masked Salesman asked curiously as Jaune entered the room.

"I got my item back, you vould not believe vat happened." Jaune said, the fact that he could speak was not lost on the Salesman as he smiled.

"You would be surprised my young friend, but more than that it is wonderful news, now we can begin."

Jaune just stared as the man walked past him towards an Organ Piano that wasn't there before making him question just how he missed it.

"Listen closely and memorize the song I'm about to play."

With that said he began to slowly play the Organ, the notes giving off a foreboding yet peaceful tone as he played. Eventually Jaune pulled the Ocarina out, seeing it turn into the Deku Pipes yet again and began to play along, the baritones of the pipes adding to the foreboding tone.

As he played it however, Jaune began to sway, the Pipes disappearing yet again as he stumbled.

"Jaune?!" Tatl flew down in concern wondering what was wrong before turning to the Salesman. "You said it would work!"

"It is, just give it some time. The Song of Healing effects differ from person to person."

Unknown to them, deep within Jaune's subconscious, he blinked as a Human while seeing his Deku Form in front of him crying its eyes out. A bit surprised by that, Jaune looked around before kneeling in front of the Deku him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's alright." Jaune said trying to sound reassuring despite not knowing what was going on.

Deku Jaune looked at the Human Jaune with tear-soaked eyes. "I-I don't vant to be alone again." He whimpered tucking his legs in to hug them. "Please don't leave."

Needless to say that surprised Jaune before remembering how different he acted as the Deku Scrub and came to a startling realization.

The Scrub was its own personality despite himself being a big part of it.

And by doing this he was in reality throwing this part away.

"Hey you won't be alone." Jaune said trying to calm him down with the Deku him sniffling.

"I _***Sniffle***_ I von't?"

"You won't," Jaune said firmly to him. "If you think I'm leaving you alone there's another thing coming."

"B-But I thought you didn't like me." Deku Jaune whispered looking down. "You hated being me."

"It was weird." Jaune admitted not saying he liked it. "But it was a neat experience. That didn't mean I didn't like you, in fact I think you're pretty cool."

That made Deku Jaune look up at him with wide eyes, trying to stop the tears. "R-Really?"

Jaune smiled. "Really," He said placing a hand on the hooded wooden head. "Just be more confident."

Shaking a bit, Deku Jaune enveloped Human Jaune in a hug that he returned after a second. "A-Alright I trust you." Deku Jaune whispered, glowing.

Blinking a bit as the sound of wood clattering, Jaune caught himself as he was back in the lower clock tower, as a Human again with Tatl flying around him. "Jaune are you alright?" Tatl asked in concern.

"I'm fine." Jaune said with a smile looking at Tatl before he noticed on the floor, a mask that looked like his Deku Face.

Slowly he bent down and picked it up and he swore he heard his Deku form's voice. "Use my power vell."

"Uh Jaune, you might want to look at your ears." Tatl said making Jaune look at her.

"My ears?" He asked reaching to touch them only to pause at feeling them to be pointed. "W-What?"

Placing the mask in his bag, he moved his other hand to his remaining ear to feel the pointed tip as well.

Why did his ears become pointy?!

"Ah I see you somehow gained the ability to use magic, the ears are a side effect of that." The Salesman said with a smile. "And you now have the ability to change back and forth between being a Deku Scrub and your real body at any moment using the mask."

"So it's a transformation mask?" Jaune asked in awe letting go of his pointy ears.

"Yes, speaking of which," The Salesman held his hand out. "I kept my end of the bargain to you so please fulfill your promise to me."

It got quiet as Jaune and Tatl exchanged glances nervously.

They didn't have the mask that Skull Kid was wearing.

Slowly the Salesman stopped moving, his smile becoming strained. "You did get it… Right?"

"It's complicated." Jaune began only for the man to go in a frenzy and grab him by the shoulders, his eyes open to show they were blood red as he began to rapidly shake Jaune back and forth.

"What have you done to me?!" The Salesman shouted in a panic. "If you leave my mask out there something terrible will happen."

"T-Terrible?!" Jaune asked feeling extremely dizzy before the man let go with him falling on his butt.

Taking a few seconds to calm himself as he had his hands on his head, the Salesman took a breath before he began to explain. "The mask that was stolen fron me… It is called Majora's Mask," He said looking Jaune right in the eyes. "It is an accursed item from legend that is said to have been used by an ancient tribe in their hexing rituals. It is said that an evil and wicked power is bestowed upon the one who wears the mask."

"A… Cursed mask?" Jaune asked slowly not sure what else to expect.

"According to legend, the troubles caused by Majora's Mask were so great… The ancient ones, fearing such catastrophe, sealed the mask in shadow forever, preventing its misuse," The Salesman continued. "But now the tribe from the legend has vanished, so no one really knows the true nature of the mask's power."

' _Except for us._ ' Jaune thought looking at Tatl who no doubt came to the same conclusion the fear of the moon falling coming to mind.

All of this from a simple mask, the source of Skull Kid's power.

That meant they just needed to get the mask off, but Jaune had no clue how they would accomplish that.

"But I feel it, I went through great lengths to get that legendary mask. When I finally had it," The Salesman fell to his knees looking pitiful. "And now that imp has it. I'm begging you, you must get that mask back quickly or something horrible will happen."

"Get it back?" Jaune asked not feeling confident about his chances.

He barely survived that last run-in and while he was back to normal, he knew his chances weren't that great. How could he beat Skull Kid if he could barely survive?

But the Salesman wouldn't budge. "I'm begging you," He said bowing his head. "You must do it. Please."

Jaune looked at Tatl who shared his lack of confidence before the blonde frowned in determination.

He can't ignore this.

Yes he was scared out of his mind but now he knew what to expect, plus if he didn't-if no one did then this world was doomed.

It doesn't matter if he feels confident about his chances or not, he can't ignore this. There was too much at stake.

"Okay." Jaune said the Salesman looking up at that.

"Jaune are you sure?" Tatl asked with the blonde nodding.

"We have an advantage." Jaune said as they knew exactly what would happen. "If we play our cards right we can get that mask back."

"Really, you'll do it?" The Salesman looked overjoyed. "Thank you, I have complete confidence in your abilities in handling this mask."

' _Confidence._ ' Jaune thought giving a nod with a smile.

"Just believe in your strength." The Salesman said as Jaune went to leave. "Oh one more thing."

Turning back, he saw the Salesman holding out a notebook of some kind.

"This notebook belonged to the Bombers Gang that usually hangs around here, this one in particular belongs to the imp," The Salesman said, Jaune's eyes widening. "I'm certain it will be of use to you."

"Really?" Jaune muttered opening it only to blink.

A lot of the pages were ripped out, in fact the only one that wasn't was the Bomber's Code along with the Moon's Tear location and quite a few blank pages.

"Stuff we already know." Tatl muttered at seeing it while Jaune just placed it in his bag-he really liked this new bag as it was holding the Deku Mask, Deku Nuts and his Ocarina along with this Notebook.

Giving one last nod to the Salesman, Jaune and Tatl exited the Clock Tower, being back in the Town Square.

"That mask," Tatl muttered looking down. "To think that Skull Kid would use it for such terrible things. And we're the only ones capable of doing something about it."

"There's just one problem." Jaune said confusing Tatl. "I've never actually been in a fight until recently and I don't have any training in using my sword."

Still he should count himself lucky that he has it back attached to his waist.

"There's a training school for swordsman in West Clock Town." Tatl brought up, catching Jaune's attention. "Actually I want to try something, play that song again."

"The Song of Healing?" Jaune asked in confusion.

"No the other one that caused us to go back in time." Tatl explained, with Jaune blinking before giving it a go, pulling out his Ocarina.

The result was opening his eyes as he walked out of the tower, at the beginning of the first day despite it being an hour or so afterwards.

"Just as I thought, it wasn't a one-time thing." Tatl said with Jaune giving a slight whistle.

"And this is the farthest we can go back, too bad otherwise we would've gone back to before Skull Kid took that mask." Jaune said before realizing how they could use this to their advantage.

If he learned some basic swordsmanship, he could use the Song of Time to keep learning it until he fully mastered it-that could give him an advantage.

Tatl went quiet before speaking. "Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon." She said repeating Tael's words from that night. "I bet he was referring to the four areas just outside of town, there's one in each compass area."

"That's convenient but what did your brother mean by the four who are there?" Jaune asked as Tatl gave the fairy equivalent of a shrug.

"Don't know, he usually skips out on stuff like this," Tatl said trying to sound upbeat on the chances of Tael's possible revival. "We'll just need to find out, but you need training to avoid the monsters."

"So you do have Grimm." Jaune said with the two now heading for West Clock Town, he paused to get some Rupee's as going back in time seemed to have gotten rid of them.

"I have no idea what your 'Grimm' are but the monsters outside of town aren't a joke unless you're trained," Tatl told him and eventually they made it to the building called 'The Mighty Training Center'. "Well here we are."

Taking a breath, Jaune opened the door finding them inside of what looked to be a dojo, where a young man with long brown hair sat in a meditative stance wearing a brown vest and blue pants.

"Welcome to my School, I take it you're here to learn the art of swordsmanship?" The Swordsman asked seeing the sheathed weapon with Jaune.

Jaune gave a nod as he walked forward. "I heard… Rumors of your skill and I wish to learn." He said hesitating a bit.

"Very well." The man pressed a button and a log shot out of the ground near Jaune. "For the price of one Rupee, I shall teach you the art of combat."

Giving a blink at that, Jaune figured it was a pretty decent trade for him and pulled one Rupee out, tossing it to the man as he caught it easily.

"Very well, first before you draw your weapon I need you to learn how to move unarmed." The man said standing up as he walked next to Jaune. "Follow my movements."

With speed that Jaune wasn't expecting the man jumped to the side, keeping his focus on the log before doing a backflip to jump back making Jaune balk.

"Well?" The Swordsman asked with a quirked brow. "You'll need to know this if you wish to survive out there, Swordsmanship is more than swinging your sword, you won't last long if you get hit."

Giving a nod, Jaune got the side jump down pretty easily but it was when he tried to do a backflip that he ended up on his stomach before he could finish it.

Despite the friendship that he and Tatl shared in the last three days he could hear her chuckling, the ringing sound being a giveaway making him look at her as she quickly got a hold of herself.

"Don't worry, no one gets it on the first try." The Swordsman said with a slight chuckle. "This is only your first day."

Pushing himself up, ignoring the pain Jaune gritted his teeth and continued.

Eventually after a few more falls, he managed to get a backflip done, stumbling as he landed.

"Good, good, now keep practicing that until it becomes second nature." The man said nodding approvingly as Jaune showed a lot of promise so far.

Not many people can master doing a backflip like that with no extra movement for days and yet Jaune managed to get this part of it down in only a few hours.

It was when he saw Jaune do a backflip three times in a row, landing it that he spoke again. "Now try to do a roll dodge," He said seeing Jaune panting with sweat on his brow. "... You don't wish to remove your hoodie?"

It was a bit hot outside so doing this must be close to heatstroke for him.

Jaune shook his head. "This is my armor, if I can't dodge with it on, I won't live long." He said with the Swordsman giving a bark of laughter.

"I think I might like you," He said in amusement before performing a roll dodge, immediately getting to his feet not even a second after finishing it. "You would be amazed at how often this one can save your life in a pinch."

Taking a deep breath, Jaune tried a dodge roll only for the Swordsman to shake his head.

"You're doing it all wrong, don't dive for the floor like you see a Silver Rupee," He snapped surprising Jaune. "You have to tuck and roll on the spot, imagine a spear or a sword swinging in an arc towards you, then try to roll under it, that's the dodge roll."

' _Tuck and roll._ ' Jaune thought as he looked at Tatl who has been quiet ever since he started this before doing just that, only he couldn't get to his feet fast enough.

"Hm… Stay here," The Swordsman walked off confusing Jaune before he came back with a wooden sword. "Alright here's the deal I'm going to swing this at you, you're going to use what I just taught you to dodge."

"Wha-?" Jaune couldn't finish as the Swordsman did a horizontal strike, hitting Jaune in the gut, knocking him off his feet.

"You're dead." The Swordsman said dryly as Jaune gripped his gut in pain. "I taught you the basics of dodging, you need to use them now."

With that he made Jaune get up and swung but this time Jaune was ready, jumping back-not doing a backflip-while the Swordsman lunged with an overhead strike hitting Jaune on the head with a loud crack that had the blonde seeing stars.

"... This might take awhile." The Swordsman muttered to himself.

 _ **~Night of the First Day~**_

 _ **-60 Hours Remain-**_

Tatl watched with more interest as Jaune who was practically black and blue right now was weaving left and right around the sword as if he's been doing it his entire life.

Pain was a great motivator to learn this quickly and despite being tired and sore, Jaune looked like he was having fun and enjoying this.

"Hyah!" The Swordsman tried an overhead strike as Jaune performed a perfect Dodge Roll, actually rolling until he was right behind the Swordsman.

If he was using a sword and did that on an enemy he would've had a chance to attack from behind.

"Heh, I think that's enough for the day." The Swordsman said placing the wooden sword down. "Just keep practicing your dodging techniques and you'll be fine. Tomorrow we'll start on you using that sword of yours."

Jaune gave a nod looking relieved at stopping but he also had a bit of interest in his eyes.

He was finally on his way to learning how to effectively use Crocea Mors.

Waving good-bye to the Swordsman, Jaune let out a pained sigh as he walked outside with Tatl. "That was one of the most painful experiences of my life." He said looking at Tatl.

"Painful or not it's a good experience." Tatl told him with Jaune agreeing with her before she paused. "Jaune look."

Blinking, Jaune turned towards the direction that Tatl was looking at to see the Stray Fairy flying around.

Eyes blinking, Jaune tensed as he remembered the Great Fairy telling him to speak with her again once he regained his true form.

So he walked forward and gently grabbed the Great Fairy as it was flying a bit close. "Well I guess I know our plans for tonight." He said to Tatl who gave a nod.

* * *

It took a bit to get to the Northern part of Clock Town but it was well worth it when he entered the Great Fairy Fountain, feeling re-energized when he stepped into the pond, his bruises from earlier disappearing as the Great Fairy became whole once more.

"Hello Tatl and you kind young one, I see you regained your true form." The Great Fairy said with a smile, Jaune's eyes widening.

"Y-You remember?!" He asked in surprise.

Truth be told he didn't think that she would remember him.

"I know many things young Arc, I see that you've taken to the magic I've gifted you with." She said taking note of his ears. "I also know what you must do, but allow me to give you some help."

"Thank you Great Fairy." Tatl said with gratitude in her tone.

"Don't thank me yet your journey is a perilous one, but one that must be taken," The Great Fairy said in a somber tone. "You will face many challenges in the four temples that you must brave."

"Four temples?" Jaune asked in confusion before Tatl lit up a bit. "Huh?"

"It's what Tael said." Tatl elaborated to the blonde. "I think there's a temple in each area."

"And a Fairy Fountain in each temple, the Great Fairies in each one were broken apart far worse than me, they shall give you help if you help them reform," The Great Fairy said holding her hand out as a mask appeared much to Jaune's confusion. "Take this young one."

Slowly he accepted the mask of the Great Fairy's face.

"This mask has the power that will attract the Stray Fairies to you once you're in a certain vicinity as while you wear it they will not fear you," The Great Fairy told him. "Once you do so take them to the Fountain and all will be made clear."

With that she disappeared into the Fountain leaving Jaune and Tatl in silence.

"A-All of the Great Fairies are shattered?" Tatl sounded very nervous.

"It seems that way." Jaune muttered putting the mask in his bag next to the Deku Mask.

With that they exited the Fairy Fountain to see that it was getting to be late.

Normally he would've looked for a place to rest, but Jaune was completely energized after being in the Fairy Fountain. It was like a double shot of espresso.

"Alright let's take some inventory," Jaune muttered looking at his bag. "I have two masks, my Ocarina, Deku Nuts, the Bombers Notebook which is kind of useless, and Crocea Mors."

"Crocea what?" Tatl looked at him in confusion.

"My Sword and Shield," Jaune elaborated earning an 'Oh.' "And I also have Magic along with that… That's actually not a bad set of equipment."

In fact if he was being honest with himself he had a better chance of becoming a Huntsman now… If he makes it back home in one piece. He also had his Scroll but he didn't pull it out because he hasn't seen any tech like it so he knew it wouldn't have anything to connect to so he wouldn't use it to tell time or anything really.

Shaking his head, he looked at Tatl. "So what time is it?"

Looking up at the sky, Tatl spoke. "Close to one in the morning-."

"Ouch! Watch where you're going!" Jaune looked towards the voice to see an elderly woman on the ground while a man grabbed her bag and began to run. "Stop! Thief! I'm just an old lady, give me my luggage back!"

Eyes widening, Jaune intervened before the man got too far, pulling his sword out and hitting the thief before the man could react, making him drop the bag. It was a light cut because the man did manage to take a step back and now had fear in his eyes as he took off running.

Instead of giving chase however, Jaune picked up the bag and ran to the elderly lady. "Are you alright ma'am?" He asked in concern helping her up.

He couldn't believe that someone just tried to rob an old lady like that.

"Thank you young man, since he didn't make off with my bag I can finally stock Big Bomb Bags at the Bomb Shop." The elderly woman said with Jaune's eyes widened.

B-Bomb?

These were explosives he was carrying?!

She didn't seem to notice his panicked look as he gave her the bag back.

The lady paused and pulled out a mask she had in the bag. "Here, this is for the trouble you just went through," She said as the mask had a skull and crossbones emblem on it. "It's a dangerous mask but maybe you can use it to throw your own fireworks festival."

Jaune slowly accepted the mask with some red in his face. "You don't have to, I didn't help to be rewarded."

That made the lady smile. "You're a sweet young man but don't worry about it, giving you the Bomb Mask is the least I can do, if you're ever in East Clock Town come by the Bomb Shop and check our wares." She said slowly walking off.

"... Bomb Mask?" Jaune asked looking at the mask as she was out of sight.

"I've heard of it, it's rumored that whoever wears it becomes a living bomb." Tatl said nearly making Jaune drop it.

"Okay not wearing this one."

Tatl rolled her eyes. "Oh don't be a baby Jaune, it doesn't kill you-don't get me wrong it will hurt but you can survive it."

Hesitating, Jaune placed it in his bag. "Man I'm starting up a collection of them." He muttered as he had three masks now.

"Still she said something about selling Bomb Bags, those could be useful," Tatl told him with Jaune despite the uneasiness with having explosives agreeing. "We should scrounge up some Rupees and buy a bag."

"Never know when you would need a bomb." Jaune muttered as he and Tatl spent the night gathering Rupees before he found himself in the Laundry Pool-mostly to drink some water from the river before he heard music.

Feeling curious, Jaune followed it to find a bald man with a brunette goatee wearing a blue shirt and shorts, playing some sort of music box.

He didn't stop as he took notice of Jaune, in fact he seemed happy to be having some sort of audience. "La-la-la… They said I was too loud when I practiced in the Hotel Room. They got mad. Sigh… Now I'm sad. I'll just think about the past to keep my mind off the bad," He sang in tandem with his music. "Ah yes, I'll do that."

He then stopped playing.

"Dear spectator… Long ago I was in an animal troupe with dogs and donkeys and such," He began a wistful smile on his face before he began playing again. "Why could a…? Why could a…? Why could a man join?! That's 'cause a man is an animal too, my boy!"

' _A lot of people back home don't think that._ ' Jaune thought remembering the strife between Humanity and Faunus.

"They were all great, but there was one thing I didn't like about it…" With that the man began to play faster in anger. "Why was the…? Why was the…? Why was the dog the leader?! Was it 'cause something was wrong with me, sir?

"Uh Jaune I'm not so sure about him." Tatl whispered.

"Me neither." Jaune replied but he wasn't sure how to leave without being rude.

"Oh, that dog was an amazing leader! He always had a stellar troupe no matter what animals he had to work with," The man chuckled. "That's why I… That's why I… That's why I stole it… The dog's mask. I stole it."

With that said he stopped playing completely.

"I wanted it because it was the leaders mask… But I no longer need it so I'll give it to you."

Jaune blinked as he was given a bird-like mask.

"That right there is the Bremen Mask, use it well." He said standing up to leave while playing his music.

Jaune slowly looked at Tatl. "When I said I was starting up a collection, I was joking." He said as this was the fourth mask he received in one day.

"Termina is well known for making masks with unique abilities," Tatl told him. "It might be worth it to find as many as you can get."

"Right." Jaune muttered pocketing the mask.

 _ **~Dawn of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-48 Hours Remain-**_

It took a bit of asking around, but Jaune managed to find the Bomb Shop the next morning after he spent the night exploring the town a bit more, he managed to find up to 200 Rupees ensuring that he would be able to buy a few things.

It helped that if he went back in time with the Rupees still there but that also meant all the ones he gathers are lost in the process.

"Welcome to the Bomb Shop." Jaune saw a bald man wearing a black vest standing behind the counter. "How may I help you?"

Before Jaune could speak, he heard another voice. "Oh that's the young man who stopped that dreaded thief from stealing our goods." He looked over to see the elderly woman from the other night.

"Morning ma'am." Jaune greeted politely while the man behind the counter blinked.

"Huh so yer the one who helped me mum out?" The man asked this time with a smile. "I have to thank you for that, what can I get for you?"

"I'm here to buy a bomb bag." Jaune said not believing he said that.

"A bomb bag huh?" The man cupped his chin in thought. "We have the big ones and usually they're 150 Rupees, but since you helped Mum out, I can cut 60 off, how does that sound?"

Seeing that it would cost 90 Rupees, Jaune agreed and pulled the right amount out handing it to the man who in turn handed a brown bag to Jaune.

"This bag holds up to thirty bombs, don't take them out unless you plan on using them," The man warned Jaune who blinked in confusion. "The bag is enchanted to ensure that while they're in there none of them will blow up, however if you take one out it'll spark the fuse, giving you five seconds to get rid of it."

"Got it." Jaune said happy to receive that warning.

* * *

With his new Bomb Bag put up in his gear sack, Jaune was back at the Swordsman School, the Swordsman having him slice through a log with his sword.

"Hm, good attempt but not good enough." The Swordsman said humming to himself. "You need to be more precise, a good swordsman knows when and where to strike while only a fool swings randomly."

Jaune gave a nod ignoring the slight against him as he really needed to learn this and tried another horizontal strike.

This time it sliced right through the log making Jaune blink as the Swordsman gave a bark of laughter.

"Do it again." He said another log replacing it as Jaune focused and did that. "Heh I guess we'll move onto the Vertical Cut now."

As the next log showed up, the Swordsman showed Jaune how to cut and Jaune gave it a try cutting through it, this time he caught a green glow from his sword and felt a little exhausted.

' _Am I using my Magic for this?_ ' Jaune thought in surprise.

At least it was more useful than the snot bubble-okay he was lying the snot bubble was pretty useful in distracting and grossing out Skull Kid.

"Try thrusting next." The Swordsman said with Jaune focusing this time the green glow was more noticeable. "Ooh a magic user?"

Jaune hesitated unsure if this was bad or not as the Swordsman laughed.

"This is better, if you focus enough you can use it to enhance your attacks power, although I wouldn't fully rely on it as you can only use so much." The Swordsman explained to him with Jaune soaking that up. "Alright now thrust and then try a jump attack."

Thinking the jump attack was that overhead strike the man used against him the other day, Jaune did just that slicing into the log with the first thrust before jumping back to get some room to perform the jump attack, this one slicing the log right down in the middle.

"Those are the basic sword techniques," The Swordsman said with a smile. "That is all I can teach you at this time, once you master them, come back and I'll teach you more advanced techniques alright?"

Jaune gave a nod but he felt a twinge of sadness.

It was more likely that it wouldn't happen because he had to play the Song of Time the next day and this man won't remember him,but he knew the basics of dodging and attacking. He just needed to practice and get some experience in fighting.

* * *

"Alright let's find a monster to test your training on." Tatl said the two of them leaving Clock Town. "The sooner you get this done the sooner we can head for one of the four areas to look into what Tael told us."

"You mean the temples?" Jaune asked with Tatl nodding. "Which one should we head to first?"

"The Swamp, it's straight ahead from the Clock Tower so it would be easy to start with." Tatl explained before Jaune blinked at seeing a green slime creature with big teeth and two stalk-like eyes giving it the appearance of a snail, moving around in a grassy area. "Careful that's a Green Chuchu, it's nothing to really be afraid of, in fact the remains after killing it can be used for potions to replenish your Magic."

"So basically a good start for me to test my training?" As Tatl nodded to that, Jaune unsheathed the weapon and lunged at the Chuchu.

It just took one slice and it was dead with Jaune blinking.

That was it?

"Don't get cocky, like I said it's a Chuchu, they're weak but numerous and they revive themselves after a minute or two," Tatl explained surprising Jaune. "Come on, we should find some tougher opponents for you to test against. Maybe a Peahat or a Dodongo?"

Jaune blinked unsure what those were but he was a little interested.

How hard would they be?

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

 _ **Alright, this one is a bit more of a filler chapter with Jaune finally back to being human along with learning the basics of Swordsmanship via the Mighty Training Center, got a few masks and even a Bomb Bag-I think he's doing pretty well so far.**_

 _ **But of course he has a long way to go if he hopes to survive this mess, but I think anyone in this position in real life would take advantage of the rewinding time part to work on their skills and train themselves before actually doing something.**_

 _ **Also I wanted to add something to when Jaune becomes human again as the Goron and Zora Mask got their own tearful cutscene but not the Deku, so hoped you liked it.**_

 _ **Now for the reviews.**_

 _ **Zaralann: Thank you.**_

 _ **Duskrider: Thank you, I had fun typing the flashback as well as putting in the aspect with the darker part of the story.**_

 _ **Diddeysquat: This story will take place in Majora's Mask-the sequel if I do finish it will be back in Remnant.**_

 _ **Pokemonsuperallstarfan: Nope, just one timeline, I won't give out more than that in concern with everything else.**_

 _ **The Legend of Zelda Fangirl: Thank you, I'll try to keep this up to the end. I figured with MM being the darkest LOZ known so far along with how dark RWBY got it would fit, plus I like bringing my own twists to things. Jaune will become a lot more competent early on because of his advantage with the Ocarina. Yeah a lot might go wrong but I don't think it'll go that far. Yes he still doesn't know about Aura/Semblance and no he won't get it unlocked until he gets back to Remnant because I think the only way to unlock it is to have someone use their Aura to do so.**_


	4. Into the Swamp

_**Chapter 04: Into the Swamp**_

 _ **~Night of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-36 Hours Remain-**_

"For the record I blame you!" Jaune shouted having to duck as a stream of fire shot over his head.

After deciding to listen to Tatl about finding a tougher opponent, he eventually found a cave that held two Dodongo's. What Tatl failed to mention was that they were freaking dinosaur like creatures bigger than a car that can breathe fire.

His hair was already singed from that.

"Relax they're still young so they're not that big-." Tatl tried with Jaune whirling around to balk at her, having to jump back to avoid being cooked.

"They get bigger?!"

"Not the point," Tatl said with Jaune taking cover behind a huge rock as fire blasted it, the flames shooting around them, nearly melting the rock. "Because it's young their tails are the weak points or you can throw a bomb and it'll eat them."

"They eat bombs?" Jaune asked incredulously.

"I didn't say they were smart, Dodongo's are usually pretty stupid." Tatl said with a shrug.

Giving a sigh, Jaune found himself lucky he still wasn't a Deku Scrub otherwise he would have burned up pretty fast. Still he had to focus. So reaching into his Gear, he produced a bomb, the fuse lighting immediately due to the air reaching it.

Counting to three, Jaune chucked it and the Dodongo opened its mouth catching it, the bomb exploding immediately as it collapsed winded.

' _It's not dead?!_ ' Jaune thought bewildered before realizing the second one was missing.

He could tell where it was when he heard an intake of breath behind him and he dove over the rock to dodge another fire blast, running as soon as it let up to get behind the first Dodongo, using Crocea Mors to stab its tail-why was it blinking red now?

"Get back they explode when they die." Tatl warned too late, Jaune having to use his shield to block the blast, his clothes being torn a bit as he was sent skidding across the ground, sparks coming off the armor parts.

"You could've warned me that beforehand." Jaune muttered dazed in pain but the thundering footsteps of the second Dodongo brought him back to reality despite his ears ringing from the blast.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting you're from not from Termina, it's common knowledge about Dodongo's exploding upon death." Tatl apologized to the blonde as he pushed himself up. "If you're not up to it we should go."

"No let's finish this." Jaune muttered as if he ran his training wouldn't mean much.

Sure it could be argued that he definitely improved considering what he just took down but he needed to improve further. Besides what kind of hero ran away from a fight?

Tatl looked at Jaune before giving a nod.

It was his choice after all.

So, Jaune got ready and threw a Deku Nut, the blinding flash making the Dodongo back up in pain as Jaune used that to his advantage to move behind it, however the Dodongo heard him and spun around, his tail catching Jaune by surprise as he felt blinding pain in his ribs showing he might've broken one and was sent flying back into the wall where he tasted iron.

"Jaune?!" Tatl quickly took the attention off of him by flying around the Dodongo making it snap at her. "Get out of here!"

Jaune gritted his teeth as he pushed himself up, gasping in pain now knowing that he wouldn't make it far with this injury slowing him down and the Dodongo would no doubt take advantage of that.

So he moved as silently as possible while Tatl was keeping the Dodongo distracted before lunging as he cut the tail right off with the Dodongo roaring in pain, now blinking.

This time Jaune dove out of the way, dodging the explosion but he grimaced as he rolled to his feet.

Oh man that was painful-.

Tatl added to that by tackling his head.

"Are you an idiot?!" Tatl shouted at him while Jaune rubbed his head. "I told you to run, you could've gotten yourself killed."

"Hey we lived right?" Jaune asked with a grin but Tatl was glaring at him.

"Through sheer dumb luck, if you died everyone would be screwed or have you forgotten only you can travel back in time?"

… Okay Tatl had a point about that, Termina would be screwed if the only person capable of rewinding time to prevent the end of the world died because of stubborness.

Seeing that Jaune got what she was implying, Tatl's wings drooped. "Don't get me wrong you're getting better but you need to be careful."

Jaune gave a nod at that.

"... How bad is it?" Tatl asked as she saw how Jaune seemed to be favoring his left side a bit.

"I think I broke a rib." Jaune answered honestly wincing as movement hurt. "Should I play the Song of Time?"

"I don't think that would work, do the injuries heal?"

"Maybe? I mean I was fine when we did it the first time after getting thrashed by Skull Kid, but I was too preoccupied trying to make sense of it to be sure." Jaune said with a shrug.

Tatl went quiet in thought before speaking. "Let's get you to the Fairy Fountain, it'll heal your injuries up."

 _ **~Dawn of the Final Day~**_

 _ **-24 Hours Remain-**_

Jaune sighed in relief as after a long, painful walk his ribs did seem to mend when he was in the Fairy Fountain, it was painful when it did mend but the relief outweighed it.

The Great Fairy just looked at him in amusement before looking at Tatl. "You realize my Fountain isn't a hospital right?" She asked with Tatl looking a bit sheepish as she tried to explain but the Great Fairy gave a small laugh. "Don't worry I don't mind, I think I can make an exception for him as long as the Skull Kid remains an issue."

"Thank you Great Fairy." Tatl bowed her head as Jaune stood up before she looked at him, hissing. "Show your gratitude."

Jaune looked a bit put off by that but he gave a slight bow as he remembered that the Great Fairy seemed to be revered by the other fairies for some reason and he didn't want to accidentally offend her.

Thankfully the Great Fairy seemed more amused than anything else.

"It's getting close to when you'll have to restart the whole cycle isn't it?" The Great Fairy asked with Jaune hearing the annoyance in her tone showing she would be back to being broken again.

"If you can remember the rewinds, why can Skull Kid still break you apart?" Jaune asked curiously because the first time she said that Skull Kid caught her off guard.

"I'm already shattered when you get to that point." The Great Fairy elaborated to him. "But with that mask on him I doubt I'll be much help against him anyways."

There was some bitterness in her tone now at that making Jaune look away before sighing. "Right, well I'm going to go practice a bit more, thank you for letting me heal here."

"Mr. Arc a moment," The Great Fairy spoke up right before he could leave, the blonde turning towards her. "When you do start the cycle over again, might I suggest playing the Song of Time backwards when you do?"

"Play it… Backwards?" Jaune asked surprised to hear that but the Great Fairy just smiled and disappeared into the Fountain once more. "Any idea what she means?"

"You're asking the wrong fairy." Tatl said dryly as she still didn't understand how that Ocarina of his worked.

* * *

 _ **~Night of the Final Day~**_

 _ **-12 Hours Remain-**_

It was strange to see the town so empty again as Jaune walked through it after spending the day training, looking around with a sigh before he blinked at seeing a familiar face. "Oh hey Jim." He said to the leader of the Bombers.

Jim whirled around and gave him a suspicious look. "Who are you?" He asked not knowing him with Jaune blinking before doing a facepalm. "How do you know my name?"

Right he only met Jim as a Deku Scrub but more than that everything started over, so even if he met Jim in his normal form he wouldn't have remembered him.

This would be confusing.

"... Lucky guess?" Jaune tried with Jim keep giving him a suspicious look before Tatl intervened.

"Don't mind him, he heard your name walking around, we're tourists." She said with Jim giving a nod.

"Right, well if you need anything the Bombers will always help out." Jim said before he walked off. "Have to get home though."

As soon as he was out of sight, Tatl looked at Jaune. "What was that?"

"Forgot he wouldn't remember me," Jaune muttered with a sigh before looking up at the moon which stared menacingly back. "Just like how the Swordsman won't remember me."

Heh, he doesn't even know the guy's name but the man was awesome, both as a teacher and as a person.

Tatl went quiet now seeing what he meant. "By the Goddesses that would be confusing."

Jaune gave a nod. "How many times would we have to do this before we stop Skull Kid?"

He was already dreading the next time because he did one run, played it a second time to experiment with it and now he would do it again soon. Sure it was because if he didn't the moon would crash into the world, but it was like he had a clean slate everytime the only person remembering besides him would be Tatl and the Great Fairy.

"As many as it takes." Tatl said with Jaune agreeing with her. "Should we go ahead and rewind?"

"... Let me say goodbye to the Swordsman." Jaune said as despite it only being three days the Swordsman taught him a lot and the man wouldn't even remember.

So he wanted to give his thanks.

With that decided, he headed for the school with Tatl flying behind him, the two ignoring the ground shaking as some of Clock Town's inhabitants moved to get home quickly.

It was sad to see them so panicked but there wasn't anything he could do at this very moment.

Eventually they made it to the school and opened it only to pause as it was empty. "Hello?" Jaune called out hoping that the man would show himself if he heard Jaune's voice. "Sir are you here?"

"Jaune there's a note." Tatl said flying towards the wall where the Swordsman usually sits.

Walking towards it, Jaune read the note. ' _I'll be on Vacation for a short while. Please don't look for me._ '

"Oh." Jaune said a bit saddened by that as Tatl flew on his shoulder.

"We should go." She said as they turned to leave only to hear something fall.

Both of them turned towards the wall as they heard a bit of a whimper.

Quickly unsheathing his sword, Jaune slowly approached the wall before seeing that it looked weird so placing his hand on it, it gave away to show a hidden passageway. Naturally feeling curious, Jaune walked down the passageway to come into a storage room where the Swordsman was huddled in a corner shaking.

"S-Sir?" Jaune quickly sheathed his sword and ran to the man's side.

"Uuuuuurgh!" The Swordsman whispered not even looking at Jaune as he shook. "I'm scared… I can't take it! I don't want to die."

Jaune took a step back in shock at that.

The man while teaching Jaune was amazing, he threw a lot at him, helped him learn and yet here he was cowering away in fear.

… Because there wasn't anything he could do.

How would one stop the moon from falling? In fact in the first run he felt the same hopelessness that this man was obviously feeling, he was scared out of his mind.

This was just reminding people of how small they truly were.

"Jaune, we should go." Tatl said softly. "He obviously doesn't want anyone to see him."

Jaune however shook the man. "Get ahold of yourself." He said snapping the Swordsman out of his fear.

"Y-You?" The Swordsman looked ashamed at being caught like this. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, why are you here hiding?" Jaune asked with the man tensing before he gave a slight laugh.

"What else can we do about that thing hanging around outside?! It's the end what else is there to do?"

Jaune looked down. "So you're hiding like this because you're scared?" He asked unable to believe that despite seeing it.

That made the Swordsman look at Jaune with a glare. "Don't act all high and mighty I can tell you're scared too, what do you think we can do about that thing?!"

"I might be scared but at least I'm doing something." Jaune snapped at him before Tatl pulled on his hood.

"Jaune your yelling isn't helping." Tatl told him with the blonde wincing.

He just… He actually looked up to this man after learning under him and to see him act like this.

"It doesn't matter, nothing can stop this." The man said with Jaune clenching his fists.

"You're wrong, there is a way to stop it." Jaune said looking at the man. "I promise you that it will be."

"Don't make an empty promise boy, it's unbecoming of a swordsman."

"So is hiding like this," Jaune said standing up to leave but he paused. "And it's not an empty promise, an Arc never goes back on their word."

As he left the Swordsman looked down still trembling but the words went through his head a bit before he looked up at the roof as if seeing the moon. "Is this truly the end?"

"Why would you do that?" Tatl asked him. "You do realize he won't remember this at all when we go back, it's for nothing."

"I know." Jaune said swallowing. "I just-. I reacted badly I'll admit."

It didn't help that the Swordsman was right because he was just as bad when he was trapped as a Scrub, but he at least tried to do something.

Tatl gave a slow nod right when Jaune pulled the Ocarina out and began playing it.

He barely hit the last note when the Swordsman came out with his sword, determination on his face ready to at least try, but it all disappeared in a flash of white.

 _ **~Dawn of the First Day~**_

 _ **-72 Hours Remain-**_

Jaune sighed as he walked out of Clock Tower with Tatl behind him back on the first day. "So yet another run." He said with Tatl giving a nod.

His clothes seemed to be repaired as well so there was that, but he was now Rupeeless again.

"Might as well get started." Tatl said with the two heading out to have the blonde practice his sword techniques.

* * *

It was the same routine for quite awhile.

Practice for three days, get some experience slaying monsters usually the Dodongo's and the Peahats-those last ones making Jaune unsure of which was more terrifying as they were some sort of flying plant with its weakness being its root, however it was protected by a circle of bladed leaves that spun in a circle-then it was to playing the Song of Time once more.

It was during this routine that he tried out the advice that the Great Fairy gave him and much to his surprise playing the Song of Time backwards actually slowed time itself down-it didn't really affect the people all that much just the flow of time itself so he was able to give himself more time to practice with.

Deciding to call it the Song of Inverted Time, Jaune was really milking it for all it was worth with practicing and he was feeling a lot more confident about his chances after the twelfth time playing the Song of Time.

Thirty-Six days of practice since he got here, about a month or so if he remembers correctly.

Man his sense of timing will be skewered if he gets back to Remnant.

Still not much happened except for him getting yet another mask from some dancing guy in Termina Fields after he ended up playing the Song of Healing for him.

It was called the Kamaro's Mask and all it did was have him dance like the guy.

Well that and it seemed that his traveling back in time had an effect on the Bomber's Notebook as it seemed to be repairing itself by showing the events he already did. Truth be told, Jaune isn't sure how that worked, maybe it had something to do with his Ocarina?

Still he's been using the blank pages to write down his progress-kind of a makeshift journal and all as well as writing down the places in Clock Town where he found Silver Rupees in case he needed them.

Jaune found himself wondering if time was repeating in Remnant as well or has he been missing for a month? If he was then his parents must be worried sick for him because he left a note saying he was heading to Beacon.

Chances are they would've checked and if he hasn't shown up it would be horrifying for them.

Just thinking about that has done nothing but made him feel miserable.

"Hey you ready?" Tatl asked bringing Jaune's attention from the Bomber's Notebook before he closed it.

"I am, so we're heading for the Swamp right?" He asked double checking his inventory as he liked to call it.

Turns out the bag was enchanted in a second way besides having infinite space-it was enchanted to where a person just needed to think about what to grab and they were able to find it easily which would make it extremely easy if he needed to switch to his bombs or Deku Nuts.

"Yeah the Swamp is home to a kingdom of Deku Scrubs, they usually keep to themselves though." Tatl explained with Jaune blinking before realizing that meant he might have to use his Deku Form to get around.

Well it wasn't too bad because he can switch to and from being that, besides he would learn more about the Deku's by doing that.

Still he did have a deadline.

"Let's get going."

* * *

Once more Jaune was in Termina Fields and was walking towards the Swamp Area a feeling of adventure coursing through him.

After spending what felt like a month of confining himself to the town, he will admit to being a little excited about what lay further ahead.

Tatl gave a gasp however as they passed a hollow log and flew on ahead, throwing Jaune through a loop before he ran after her to see her stopping by a tree with a peculiar drawing on it.

It took Jaune a second to see that it was a drawing of Skull Kid before he had the mask along with a purple and white dot that was more than likely Tatl and Tael.

Jaune kept quiet when Tatl spoke. "I remember this," Tatl said sounding like she was close to crying. "Tael and I drew this with Skull Kid when we first met him."

Just seeing this made Jaune remember what happened to Tael and he knew that Tatl was thinking the same thing before she continued.

"He told us he has been fighting with his friends and they left him all alone," Tatl whispered surprising Jaune. "We found him curled up inside of the hollow log on a cold, stormy night crying."

Jaune hesitated finding that hard to believe from what he knew of Skull Kid.

But he had to remind himself that Skull Kid wasn't always this heartless monster he saw.

"Back then, Skull Kid was childish and at times a little selfish but it was because he was afraid of being abandoned, he loved to pull pranks but always made sure to never take it too far," Tatl whispered her wings drooping. "H-He even went hungry one day to ensure Tael and I ate once… So why?"

That question caught Jaune off guard.

"Why did he kill Tael? Why is he trying to destroy the world? It doesn't make any sense," Tatl said and this time she was crying. "That isn't Skull Kid, there's no way it is."

As she cried, Jaune looked back at the drawing and saw the beak on the Skull Kid's face drawn into a smile and he knew that Tatl had a point. It made no sense.

"I… I don't know Skull Kid like you," Jaune began his voice catching Tatl's attention. "I can't say anything about what he was like or why he's doing this but he needs to be stopped regardless."

"I know," Tatl snapped at him. "But that doesn't make this any easier."

"I would've been worried if it did," Jaune told her concern on his face. "Do you need a minute?"

Tatl looked from Jaune to the drawing before speaking. "No, we need to hurry before it's too late."

* * *

It was a pretty quiet trek towards the Swamp after that moment, neither Jaune or Tatl said anything but it was broken by a wolf's howl as a silver furred wolf ran out of the tree lines.

Tatl quickly got to work as Jaune unsheathed his weapons a bit freaked as he thought this was a Beowolf at first. "Careful it's a Wolfos," She said urgently to Jaune. "Their forelegs are armored and they are adept at blocking attacks, lure them in and watch their movements. They really don't like their tails being touched as it's unarmored."

Giving a nod as he heard that, Jaune quickly blocked a strike from the Wolfos and jumped back before jumping to the side but the Wolfos was smart enough to avoid leaving its tail unguarded as it was turning with him.

' _Wait watch their movements… That means that it follows a pattern._ ' Jaune thought jumping back again his eyes looking over the Wolfos before realizing it pauses to take a breath for two seconds.

Not that much time but it was the only window of opportunity that he had.

So gripping Crocea Mors, Jaune jumped out of the way of the next two swipes before rushing in as the Wolfos was breathing heavily, stabbing its tail with enough force to make it erupt into flames, killing it.

Giving a slight smile, Jaune sheathed Crocea Mors. "I think I'm getting the hang of this."

"Don't get too cocky." Tatl reprimanded him in amusement this fight seemingly taking her mind off of what happened.

Jaune was about to answer when he heard a few more howls and saw four more Wolfos running out showing that he only killed one of a pack.

"Okay time to go." Tatl said as Jaune only fought one on one with these monsters or two on one considering the first encounter with the Dodongo.

Giving a nod, Jaune got moving.

It didn't take long to lose them as now they were walking on. "You alright Jaune?" Tatl asked as they moved seeing a frown on his face.

The reply was immediate. "I'm fine."

He was a little sore that they had to run from four Wolfos when he's heard stories of how some Huntsmen can easily slice through a legion of Beowolves.

Was his training even doing anything?

Shaking his head, Jaune continued on with Tatl giving him a look that showed she didn't believe him but she didn't push as they made it to a lake, a sign calling this place Southern Swamp passing by an owl statue.

There was a dock with a boathouse up on a platform above the lake that looked pretty nasty-why did it look purple near a cave where a giant monster was staying?

In fact why was that monster just staying there instead of attacking?

A bit on edge, Jaune casually grabbed a rock and tossed it into the purple part of the lake.

The sizzling sound it made did nothing to calm him down. "Oh great an acid lake."

"That's not right, the lake is supposed to be clear." Tatl said in shock as she's been here before.

' _I wonder if Skull Kid had something to do with this._ ' Jaune thought not putting it past the guy before wondering how the rest of the lake remained poison free.

"Ho-ho-ho-ho-hoot!" A voice made Jaune jump as he turned to see a rather large owl settled on top of the statue that looked eerily like it. "This is a rare sight. You are a fairy child, correct?"

"Fairy Child?" Jaune asked in confusion his brain trying to process that he was talking to an Owl.

Then again he seen a lot of other weird stuff that this was rather tame in comparison.

Ignoring the question, the Owl spoke. "What business do you have in this poisoned swamp?" He tilted his head curiously. "If you dare not pass any further, I shall pass no judgement. It is better that you retreat until you are ready to return."

That made Jaune glare at the owl but he felt some relief.

He wouldn't be judged at least for not being ready, that was the last thing he needed with everything going on.

"This Swamp you are in lost its Guardian Deity, but it was destined to fade anyways." The Owl spoke making Tatl perk up.

"Guardian Deity, that must be one of the four we were sent to retrieve." She whispered with Jaune frowning.

"But if it was lost how do we do that?" Jaune asked making her wings droop.

Still a freaking deity was lost? Wasn't that a God or something close to one?

If Skull Kid took that down he must really be out of his mind to think he can win against the guy.

The Owl looked at them critically as he heard them talking. "You remind me of someone I knew so long ago only he wore green." He said to Jaune making the blonde blink in confusion. "Or perhaps my tired eyes are playing tricks on me."

With that he rotated his head making Jaune grimace as while it was upside down it looked like the owl had a second face that seemed to peer in him.

Seeing that was unsettling the teen, the Owl rotate its head back to normal. "Hoo-hoot! Still the destiny you seek is not solely restricted to this Swamp Mister Arc."

That surprised Jaune while Tatl was now more weary of this owl. "How do you know my name?"

"I know many things." The Owl said being reminded of the young boy in green even more as he asked the same question. "If you have the courage and determination to proceed in the face of destiny, then I shall teach you something useful."

"Something… Useful?" Jaune asked relaxing his stance a bit.

So far this Owl hasn't acted hostile and while he was on edge about it knowing his name he didn't think it would attack him.

Tatl looked between Jaune and the owl in confusion.

"The Stone Statue that bears close resemblance to me," The Owl explained making the two look closer at the statue. "I place those throughout the land to aid the one with the power to change destiny… Wherever he may appear. In order to use their power just play the song beneath my feet."

"Song beneath your feet?" Tatl asked in confusion only to give a yelp. "H-He's gone."

Jaune spun around to see that the owl was definitely gone, not a single feather remained.

How did something so big just vanish like that?!

Still he looked where the owl was to indeed see some notes and pulled out his Ocarina, playing them. The melody that followed was a short and sweet one before he was suddenly in Clock Town in front of the first owl statue he saw.

"W-What just happened?! Tatl asked pure confusion on her face. "D-Did we go back in time again?!"

"No, it's still bright out, if we did the sun would just be rising." Jaune said unsure of what happened himself.

Looking at the Ocarina he swore he heard the Owl's voice. "May the Soaring Wings take flight."

"Soaring wings?" Jaune muttered before doing a test thinking of the owl statue in the Swamp as he replayed what he just learned and they were suddenly there. "A song that allows teleportation?!"

Shaking her head as the teleportation kind of threw her off, Tatl gave a nod. "That would be incredibly useful, especially if we find more of those statues."

"Yeah they would." Jaune said looking back to where they saw the Owl.

Just who was that?

* * *

"Welcome," Jaune couldn't help but stare at the huge behemoth of a man behind the counter as he entered the elevated house, who wore a brown vest that didn't do anything to hide his physique, he also wore a hat of some sort with blue goggles on his face. "Wait is this your first time at the swamp?!"

"Y-Yes?" Jaune answered unsure what he was getting at.

The man looked a little apologetic. "Normally I would've let you take a free swamp tour but with how dangerous it's been getting I'm not sure that would be a good idea, especially with all of the monsters becoming more dangerous as of late or those Deku Scrubs being hostile."

"The Deku's are being hostile?" Tatl asked in surprise, her appearance made the man look at her with a slight frown. "What?"

"It's nothing, I have a son that's obsessed with fairies," The man said before answering her first question. "As for the Deku's apparently something happened that made them cut off all communication with everyone, not sure what though."

"That's not good." Tatl mused while Jaune looked thoughtful waving good-bye to the man as they left the shop. "The Deku Scrubs in the Swamp are usually pretty peaceful, the idea of them being hostile is bad."

Jaune gave a nod just agreeing with her because he had no idea what else to do. "Perhaps but we need to find this temple which means we need to find them."

"We don't even know if finding this temple will work," Tatl reminded him. "We're just going by what we thought Tael was saying."

"What else could it be?" Jaune asked praying she would have the answer but when she shook her head he sighed. "It's the only idea we have."

Seeing a path in the lake that wasn't purple, Jaune felt that he was better off going that way, especially since he saw a few lily pads that were set up like a path.

Gaining an idea, Jaune took his Deku Mask out. "I think I know how the Deku's get around." He said with Tatl noticing him looking at the lily pads.

"Makes sense, they can't swim yet they can traverse the swamp," Tatl mused to him. "Those pads will sink if you go on them normally but as a Scrub you're practically weightless."

"Good to know." Jaune placed the mask on his face and immediately wished he didn't as he stumbled, grunting in pain as the soul inside of the mask began to interact with his own.

The contact of the two souls merging made Jaune scream in agony as the mask turned him back into a Deku Scrub with him hunched over panting.

"Jaune?" Tatl flew close to him. "You alright?"

"T-... Vat just happened?" Jaune asked remembering how he had to speak as a Scrub.

Shaking his head, Jaune decided to leave that question for later because they only had three more hours of sunlight left until the first day ended which meant they had to hurry.

With that in mind, Jaune began to hop towards the lily pads, Tatl taking cover in his hood.

…

It didn't take long for him to reach a hut in a rather large tree in the shape of a giant kettle, the water looked extremely clear in comparison to the rest of the lake, a grotto being nearby as well.

Tilting his head in confusion, Jaune took the Deku Mask off expecting pain but to his surprise there was none leaving for him to look at the mask in contemplation.

Why did he feel pain when he first put it on?

Putting it up, Jaune began to climb the ladder and saw this place was a 'Magic Hags Potion shop'. Given it was a shop he didn't feel too guilty about entering where he saw an elderly woman with white hair and a blue gem on her forehead dozing off a bit, but she jerked awake when he closed the door. "Welcome to Magic Hag's Potion Shop, we're open from Six in the Morning to Six at Night, how can I help you?"

"Just browsing," Jaune answered looking at what she had. "So do you get a lot of business out here?"

"Tch used to," The woman muttered in annoyance. "Ever since the Scrubs started their hatred on those monkeys I haven't seen any business."

' _Monkeys?_ ' Jaune thought not getting how that worked before noticing that the woman looked at the time in worry.

"Is something wrong?"

His question made the woman look at him in surprise. "It's nothing, my Sister just hasn't gotten back yet," She said a hint of concern in her tone despite saying it wasn't a problem. "Koume left this morning to head into the woods out back for some mushrooms but she hasn't come back yet."

"Is it dangerous out there?" Jaune asked in concern.

"Just as dangerous as anywhere else, Koume is tough." The woman said, waving it off. "So you going to buy anything?"

"I can look for her if you want."

That surprised the woman while Tatl shifted inside of his hoodie. "Jaune we don't have the time for that-."

"Well I can't exactly stop you from doing that," The woman said a bit hesitant. "Here."

She handed him a bottle with red liquid in it.

"It's a health potion, in case you find her and she needs it," The woman said before frowning. "If she doesn't and you find her tell that old hag that Kotake is annoyed with her."

Jaune gave a nod, exiting the shop as he placed the bottle in his bag.

"Jaune we're on a time limit here." Tatl reminded him. "Are you seriously going to waste it finding someone?"

"How is it a waste?"

"Because when we rewind time she'll just be out there again."

On hearing that Jaune stopped the implications sinking in.

Right, just like that woman he helped after turning back to human would be robbed because he wasn't there or at how the Skulltula would be back in the Clock Town Sewer because he hasn't killed it yet and how the Great Fairy was in pieces because he hasn't taken the Stray Fairy to the Fountain.

Sure on finding this Koume now she would be fine but on rewinding time she would be back in danger.

No matter what he does, he won't be able to help everyone because they'll just be in danger when he does go back.

"Still, we do need information on this place so perhaps this isn't a bad thing." Tatl said cutting into Jaune's thoughts.

"R-Right." Jaune said trying desperately to push that morbid thought to the back of his mind.

They had a lost sister to find.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

 _ **Sorry for the wait before updating, I hope you liked the small fight scenes that Jaune has had so far as well as how he's been taking to training with the time travel ability but now he realizes one of the bad things that comes with it in regards to helping others.**_

 _ **For example when he spoke to the Swordsman he actually got the man back to his feet on the third day to at least try but the time travel erased that moment as well.**_

 _ **So let's get the reviews done and I'll have this posted soon.**_

 _ **Pokemonsuperallstarfan: Haha yes Yang would definitely be proud of that pun. As for him keeping the mask… We'll see when we get to that point. Typing the reactions to team RWBY and NPR's to either his masks or Tatl would be hilarious.**_

 _ **Diddeysquat: Yes they will and it's already showing.**_

 _ **Thehappyvampire: Yes they would be, especially since now he realizes the dark implications of them. Yeah it would definitely be foolish not to take advantage of it, but it also makes sense that after doing so for a month he would get antsy to test himself a bit more instead of confining himself to the same area. There will be other training chapters in the future.**_

 _ **Zaralann: Thank you and good point on the Aura-I might have something happen in the first temple but there's a chance that I might not.**_

 _ **Duskrider: Thank you, I figured it would help with changing Jaune's character a bit. As for revisiting Termina with his future team, perhaps?**_

 _ **Drmonicblood: Haha thank you, I can see why you would expect that but I'm happy that you enjoy this story.**_

 _ **Ultima-Owner: Nope, but his personality will be different depending on what form he takes.**_

 _ **Guest1: Yeah I can see what you mean-it's an obvious plot hole that I overlooked because I got so into typing the story and now that I'm aware of it I'm shaking my head at how stupid I was for typing that part. Thank you for bringing it to my attention and I changed it a bit to where only two or three sisters became huntresses but the rest don't so it's not just Jaune.**_

 _ **BetaZackFan: The bottle ones yes because they can be useful-I have no idea how to integrate the hearts realistically. He may get the Fierce Deity Mask.**_

 _ **BruceLeeNagato: Haha thank you.**_

 _ **Jbrew123: I would be amazed if it didn't irk anyone either but I hope I can keep this story entertaining for others.**_

 _ **Guest2: Thank you, MM was my favorite game right after OoT which was the first Zelda Game I played so the Hero of Time Link was the first one I knew. I hope to keep this up and keep the writing clear for everyone.**_

 _ **Zeldawolffang: Haha that would be fun to do but I don't know about that.**_

 _ **Shonisto: Huh that makes more sense.**_

 _ **No Vigilance: I know, it's a surprise that there isn't much.**_

 _ **ARSLothes: Huh that would be an interesting idea.**_

 _ **DarkBlur2005: Thank you, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.**_

 _ **Risedragon0009: Yeah, he still has a long way to go with a lot of these monsters, especially where the Gerudo's are concerned.**_


	5. The Trials of Woodfall Part 1

_**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Legend of Zelda so please no suing!**_

 _ **Summary: Jaune was off on his way to Vale to enter Beacon and start his journey to become a Huntsmen, however on his way he was robbed of a family heirloom and ended up chasing the thief to a world known as Termina. Now stuck in a cycle of repeating three days, will he end up saving the world or will all of Termina die? … He should've stayed home.**_

 _ **Chapter 05: The Trials of Woodfall Part 1**_

The first thing Jaune and Tatl saw upon entering the woods were multiple paths showing that it would be pretty easy to get lost in there. "Well this is perfect, how are we going to find this Koume?" Tatl asked her wings fluttering while Jaune cupped his chin in thought.

"We'll just have to look for her, at least we can use the Song of Soaring to get out." Jaune offered getting her attention.

"That's the one the Owl taught you right?" Tatl asked with Jaune giving a nod not bothered by how that sounded.

He was beginning to keep a bit of an open mind as of now-.

A white flash shot past Jaune making him reach for his sword only to calm down as he saw a white furred monkey that came up to his shin, it didn't seem dangerous so he just tilted his head at it before it did something he didn't expect.

It spoke.

"Mmm… Follow me." The monkey uttered as it took off with Jaune gaping before shaking it off.

If an Owl can speak, why not a monkey?

He quickly took off with the monkey not slowing down as it kept making some odd turns showing that the woods were quite the maze-.

"Look out!" Tatl warned making Jaune tense before seeing what she was warning him of.

Jaune nearly cursed at having to jump to the side barely getting out of the way of a spinning turtle which had sharp spikes on the edge of its shells-the monkey not stopping so he had no time to fight.

Thankfully the turtle didn't chase him but there were a few more close calls with the other turtles.

Eventually they made it to a clearing where there were three more monkeys surrounding a woman that looked just like Kotake-Jaune presuming that this was Koume.

"Hey are you alright?" Jaune asked the still woman shaking her awake with the monkeys quickly running away.

The woman slowly pushed herself up and blearily looked at him. "Does it look like I'm alright?" She asked with slight annoyance. "I was just minding my own business, picking mushrooms when… _BAM!_ I got hit from behind."

She then hissed in pain grabbing her arm that looked limp.

"That pesky Skull Kid," Koume uttered making Jaune and Tatl's eyes widen in shock. "Did he think that I wouldn't recognize him if he hid his face? To think he's that powerful and I can't even move much."

"Well would this help?" Jaune asked offering the red potion to Koume making her turn towards him in surprise. "Your sister gave this to me when I offered to look for you."

It was snatched out of his hand making Jaune jump back as Koume downed the potion in one gulp, giving a sigh of relief as her arm mended before his eyes making him realize the potential this type of stuff could have.

He'll have to see about keeping one on him at all times.

"That's the stuff thanks kid, you really saved me," Koume said gratefully handing him the empty bottle before making a flying broom appear out of nowhere. "I'll stop by Kotame's place first before I head back to the Swamp Tour Guide, if you want a tour of the Swamp just ask for me and I'll hook you up on a free one straight to the Deku Palace."

With that she took off flying with Jaune blinking at how that went.

"I guess this really wasn't a waste of time," Tatl said sounding impressed by how this all went. "We have a way to the Deku Palace now."

Jaune just gave a wordless nod before he played the Song of Soaring to get out of there.

…

"Thanks for finding my sister." Kotame said gratefully as Jaune had to make his way over there once again donning the Deku Mask to get across the water-a bit surprised that it wasn't as painful as the first time using it.

"It's no problem." Jaune said with a smile as he went to hand the bottle back but Kotame shook her head.

"Nah you can keep it, those bottles are unbreakable so you might find a use for it-hang on here," She filled it with a red potion once more. "Consider this one on the house if you want any in the future you'll have to pay 20 rupees like anyone else."

Jaune gave a nod placing it back in his gear bag. "I'll keep that in mind." He said happy to have this.

With that said he exited the shop only to jump as the monkey that lead him through the maze-like forest landed in front of him now looking up at him with a look of wonder.

"Uh can I help you?" Jaune asked a bit wary.

"You have strange powers, no?" The monkey asked as it saw how Jaune left the forest before seeing him change from a Deku Scrub a few moments ago. "Me been watching you."

"Watch out Jaune you have another stalker." Tatl said in amusement with Jaune rolling his eyes in good humor.

"Lately this Swamp filled with poison water… Temple above waterfall strange… Brother go to temple," Needless to say the monkey had their full attention on the temple being mentioned. "But brother not able to find temple entrance. Temple for Deku only."

"So where is your brother?" Jaune asked thinking that if this temple was for Deku only he just had to be told where it was and be lead there.

"Brother captured by Deku, now in palace." The monkey looked saddened. "Help!"

With that the monkey took off with Jaune now rubbing the back of his neck. "If it's not one thing it's another," Tatl remarked, her wings drooping for a split second. "We'll have to find this brother of his."

"Yeah, even if he couldn't find the entrance, just knowing where the temple is will be extremely helpful." Jaune commented with Tatl giving a nod before looking up at the quickly darkening sky.

"Thankfully we still have a bit before sunset so let's hurry over to the Tour Guide Center." Tatl said with Jaune giving a grunt of agreement, taking the Ocarina out.

Between the Owl Statues in Clock Town and by the Swamp Tour Center they really cut down on the time needed for traveling.

…

Entering the Tourist Center, Jaune gave a small wave to the man who owned this place before making it to a window where Koume was waiting, the witch perking up at seeing him. "Oh it's you, thanks again for the help earlier," She said appreciation in her tone. "I suppose you want to take the cruise?"

Jaune gave a nod, not wanting to waste any time.

"Great, we're also giving these out for free to celebrate the upcoming festival," Koume placed a Pictograph Box on the counter of the window she was in. "In the future free tours will be decided by the best picture."

Despite finding that odd, Jaune accepted the Pictograph out of politeness and placed it in his Gear Bag.

Who knows? He might use it to take a few pictures of Termina for the memories before he heads home. He couldn't exactly take pictures with his scroll because he had to turn it off-turns out rewinding time does nothing to the battery life on it so it was almost dead.

"Just get down to the boat, it's operated by magic so it'll take you to the Deku Palace," Koume explained to Jaune. "But remember that the Deku's have been in a bit of an uproar, so be careful alright?"

"I'll be fine, thanks." Jaune said with a smile.

"If you say so." Koume said trusting him in that regard.

Moments later both Jaune and Tatl were on the boat that was holding up pretty well in the poisoned water, so with nothing better to do, Jaune just laid down to look up at the night sky.

"You know," Jaune spoke up after a bit. "I'm getting pretty sick of seeing that moon."

"You're not the only one," Tatl agreed sitting next to him. "But we'll be seeing it a lot more regardless."

Jaune gave a nod, silence growing around them.

"Hey Jaune?" Tatl looked up at the blonde after a few minutes.

"Yeah?"

"Once this is over do you plan on going back to Remnant?"

That question surprised Jaune as he was about to reply with an 'of course' but he paused.

Would he?

Sure a month ago-or however long he's been stuck in Termina he would've said yes immediately because he has so much he needed to do.

Make it to Beacon, get in, make his family proud in becoming a Huntsmen.

… And possibly get a girlfriend with all of the confidence advice his dad taught him but he could worry about that last part later, especially when he would be able to do it without worrying about time resetting.

However what he was doing here was the equivalent of being a Huntsmen only he was learning through experience. If through some miracle he does manage to beat Skull Kid he would be pretty strong by then given his training regime with rewinding time here.

Would he have to go to Beacon to become a Huntsmen? There was nothing against the rules about 'ordinary' people hunting the Grimm so perhaps he could do that instead when he gets back to Remnant.

Or perhaps… He could stay in Termina, after all while there are monsters here there weren't any Grimm to worry about.

But wouldn't that be selfish as his family would be worried sick for him?

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." Jaune finally answered after being silent for a bit, too many things to think about and he couldn't afford to distract himself when they need to focus on their situation.

Their conversation stopped when the boat came to a halt at a pier outside of a wooden fortress with Jaune stepping off of the boat, seeing the fortress looking pretty ominous at night.

"So this is Deku Palace?"

"No, Deku Palace is further in, this is the checkpoint before the palace." Tatl explained with Jaune nodding entering through the tunnel that the fortress had to see the real palace across the poisoned water with a wooden bridge going across it.

There were two Deku Guard guarding the entrance dutifully, they didn't see Jaune because of how dark it was, with Tatl now hiding in the hood of his hoodie to keep her light from showing where they were.

"We should probably wait for morning to come before we go any further, with how late it is we would most likely have the Deku's on edge." Tatl suggested.

Jaune gave a nod. "Yeah we'll need to get that monkey out while without making them uncomfortable." He agreed as saving the monkey without having all of the Deku's on edge would make it a lot easier.

Still where would they stay given how the boat was only free for one use-.

Jaune gave a start when he saw an Owl Statue and grinned.

Looks like it was back to Clock Town.

* * *

One use of the Song of Soaring after leaving the fortress and they were back in Clock Town, where Jaune found himself entering a place called the Milk Bar as he sat at a stool ordering some food.

"You want anything Tatl?" Jaune asked with the fairy declining.

"No offense but this place doesn't serve fairy friendly food." Tatl explained as Jaune did order a burger and a glass of milk.

That drew a curious look from Jaune. "Well what do you eat?"

Come to think of it he hasn't really seen her eat anything this last month, in fact this was the first time he's been able to truly relax and think about it as he only spent the time training, eating snacks on the road and drinking water.

"Usually fruit or berries but we can also live off of magic," Tatl sounded a bit sheepish. "These last few days I've kind of been living off the magic that the Great Fairy gave you."

Jaune blinked processing that. "You've been eating my magic?"

Huh it was kind of strange how nonchalant he was to the idea of Magic existing now, if they didn't have so much to worry about he would've probably been overjoyed with the idea of using it.

… He should look into what he can do with his Magic once he has time, perhaps he could do more than what he's shown so far.

"It's not what you think, your magic can regenerate easily since the Great Fairy personally gave it to you, and I don't take much," Tatl elaborated in a bit of a panic at realizing how it sounded to him. "Especially not when we're out there, only when we're in the safety of town was when I did that."

"Huh," Jaune said not sure how he felt about that right when his milk was given to him. "Thanks."

"Hey Jaune you might want to be careful of the milk here, wouldn't want you to be intoxicated." Tatl warned although the thought of that nearly made her laugh.

It got quiet.

"Are you saying I can get drunk off milk here?" He asked slowly eyeing the glass carefully, not expecting that.

"The milk in Termina is produced with magic added so the effects are… Intoxicating to those who aren't used to it, it's as effective as your potion in being healed." Tatl explained with Jaune taking a small sip.

Huh, he felt quite a flow of energy already.

"So don't drink too much or the magic will go to my head." Jaune summarized with Tatl giving a nod.

That was good to know.

"Still I'd say today was pretty productive," Jaune said his burger arriving just now. "Learned a song that can teleport us and we'll be entering the Deku Palace tomorrow to find the temple."

"Yeah but it's what's inside of the temple that I'm worried about," Tatl said earning a concerned look from Jaune. "The Great Fairy said there would be challenges in each one and then there's the Guardian Deity."

"Speaking of which, you know anything about these Guardian Deities?" Jaune asked curiously.

Knowing more about them would be a big help.

"They're the four Giants of Termina who protect the lands, the Carnival of Time is celebrated in their honor," Tatl explained with Jaune paying close attention to what was being said, hiding his surprise at the Guardian Deities being Giants. "Each one of them has their own land to protect."

"Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Desert." Jaune summarized remembering exactly what Tael said during their first three days.

"Exactly," Tatl made a ringing noise, seeing how the blonde got it. "Looking at it that way it makes sense that there's a temple in each area in honor of them."

"Interesting." Jaune breathed in surprised, just thinking on this type of information he had, he was definitely going to write down what he had in the Bomber Notebook.

Perhaps he could find a book to learn more about it somewhere in Termina.

' _Still Tatl's right,_ ' Jaune thought turning back to his food as Tatl went back to resting in his hoodie. ' _I do need to be careful when we find get to this Temple, Skull Kid could've done anything to it._ '

Hopefully they were right considering they were banking everything on this idea, if they were wrong then he had no idea what they would do.

Still at least he'll be able to rewind time, but how long could he do it before he snapped because doing this can't be healthy. If he was alone he probably would've lost it by now being stuck in a self-inflicted Time Loop.

Jaune chuckled, gaining Tatl's attention. "What is it?"

"Just compared our situation to a movie back home where a guy ended up reliving the same day over and over again," Jaune elaborated earning an 'oh' from Tatl. "Though in our case we're willingly causing it."

As he ate however, the bartender came up to Jaune. "I'm going to have to ask for you to leave soon, around midnight this is a club members only bar." He warned given how it was close to that time.

' _Club members only?_ ' Jaune thought in surprise before giving a nod as he hurriedly wolfed his food down.

… Perhaps he could see how to become a member at a later date in case this place had some benefits he could use before rewinding time.

 _ **~Dawn of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-48 Hours Remain-**_

"Ugh, I miss sleeping on a bed." Jaune muttered rubbing his back given how the hotel was full because of a reservation, so he had to sleep on a bench in the Laundry Pool, listening to that man who gave him the Bremen Mask playing his music box all night.

It would always be full while he's here considering the time loop which didn't make things any easier. Heck he's surprised his back isn't broken from all of the uncomfortable places he's slept after a month's worth of rewinding time.

Thunder boomed as Jaune sighed and pulled his hood up with Tatl in there to avoid getting wet. "So we good on the plan?" Tatl asked with Jaune smiling.

"Get in there, save the monkey, find the temple, free the Deity and then reset before doing the same in the Mountain." Jaune summarized it all with a nod as he pulled out the Deku Mask. "Sounds simple enough."

"Don't get cocky." Tatl warned him despite knowing that Jaune knew it was easier said than done.

Jaune chuckled as he placed the mask on his face, once he changed he took the Ocarina out, not too bothered as it turned into Deku Pipes.

He needed to get moving.

…

"This is the palace of the Deku Kingdom. Only those with official business may enter," The Deku guard said as Jaune just stood there in front of the Palace really hoping he would find a 'legal' way in without having to resort to breaking in. "But you may enter to see the public humiliation of the foolish monkey who angered our king."

Jaune had to work hard to keep a straight face finding that a bit messed up.

"Follow this hall straight to the Royal Chamber. Do not enter any other areas whatsoever!"

"Okay ve're in." Jaune muttered to himself once he passed the guards, feeling Tatl in his hood trying to peek out.

"Remember act natural, you're a kid Deku that's interested in what's going on," Tatl whispered as he found the Royal Chamber. "Don't do anything to draw attention."

Jaune didn't answer as he saw quite the room in the Royal Chamber with countless Deku Scrubs conversing with each other while a rather large one was sitting at a throne, holding a staff.

There was a fire pit in the middle but to the side behind some bars, Jaune could see the Monkey tied to a pole, his feet kicking to the air.

Feeling some eyes on him, Jaune turned to see a lone Deku next to what had to be the King Deku staring at him in a mixture of curiosity and shock.

There was recognition in his eyes, heck Jaune felt an odd sensation as if he knew that particular scrub yet he couldn't for the life of him remember.

Still he found the Monkey but no way to get to him.

' _This will be tougher than I thought._ ' Jaune thought as the only way to get to the Monkey would be as a human and he couldn't risk it because if they see him change or try to free the Monkey, that would set them all off.

"I haven't seen your face before, are you visiting?" Jaune jumped as he realized that the King Deku was looking right at him now standing next to the disguised Deku, so he quickly nodded. "Usually I wouldn't allow the likes of you in my Royal Chamber, but today is different."

"It is?" Jaune asked tilting his head to the side, ignoring Tatl's whisper to keep his head still to avoid her falling out.

"We're about to punish the foolish Monkey who kidnapped the Deku Princess!" The King declared with Jaune tensing now realizing what was going on as this would explain why these Deku's were in an uproar besides the obvious with the poisoned swamp. "He has insulted the Royal Family! I'll show him what happens when you do that! Go ahead and take a look at his face."

Taking that as his chance to get close to the monkey, Jaune saw it struggle a bit more. "Stop looking at me I didn't kidnap your Princess!" The monkey protested tired of all of this. "No matter how many times they accuse me of it that won't bring her back, if we don't hurry the monster in the temple will kill her."

' _Monster?_ ' Jaune thought in shock seeing that they really needed the information now more than ever.

As the King left to go back to his throne, Jaune turned back to the monkey. "Tell me everything you know." He whispered with the Monkey looking at him in surprise.

"I already told you everything-."

"No you told dem, I don't know anything and I need all da information I can get if I vant to survive at temple." Jaune retorted with the Monkey looking cautious.

"How do I know that you're not just pretending?"

"Your brothers told me about your situation and had me come in to help." Jaune said keeping his voice low and forcing himself to speak slowly to keep his pronunciation to avoid confusing the monkey.

While he was indeed getting better, he still needed to work on it.

After a few seconds, the monkey gave a nod while he stopped kicking his feet. "They did?" He asked not expecting that before shaking his head as he decided to trust his word and pray that he was telling the truth, lowering his voice to avoid the other Deku's overhearing them. "No that's not important, you need to save the Princess inside of the Temple, that's the only way they'll listen, if no one does she'll die."

"How do I get in dere?" Jaune asked needing that information.

"The Temple is across from the Deku Palace, but you need to use the Deku Flowers to get to the cavern that will take you to Woodfall Swamp where it's at," The Monkey explained quickly. "But you also need to know a song on the Deku Pipes, one that the Royal Family knows, the Sonata of Awakening."

"It's always something." Tatl cursed with Jaune wincing.

"Luckily the Princess taught me the song, do you have a Deku Pipe?" The Monkey asked with Jaune perking up and nodding. "Listen closely."

With that said he began to recite a series of notes, quietly to avoid more trouble with Jaune straining to hear them, giving a hum of his own in response to them.

After a few times the Monkey stopped as Jaune took a step back. "Fank you." He said with the Monkey giving a nod.

"Hurry."

Jaune quickly took off running eliciting odd stares from the Deku's, but he didn't care as Tatl sounded worried when she spoke. "You do have that memorized right?"

"Yeah I do," Jaune would've grinned if he could. "Ven Dad taught me how to play music I managed to acquire quite da skill in learning notes, playing fer eight years can do dat."

A lot of songs he could play from memory anyways.

But he'll write down the notes in his Bombers Notebook to ensure that he won't forget it.

* * *

Jaune sighed in relief as after an hour of searching he managed to find the path to the waterfall, though it took quite a bit considering the Killer Dragonflies that were attacking him as a Deku.

He's not kidding, these things were bigger then he was in Deku Form, but they were pretty frail so he just had to launch himself out of Deku Flowers to kill them.

His hoodie was thoroughly soaked though given how long he's been in the rain so there was a chance he would get sick-wait would him being sick carry over when they start the three days over again?

That was actually an interesting thing to test out, if it doesn't then that's great.

Entering a alcove that was close to the Deku Palace with it being in the waterfall across from it, Jaune found himself in Woodfall only to give a start at seeing no temple.

"What?!" Tatl flew out of his hood not caring about the rain at this moment. "But that Monkey said that the temple was here!"

Jaune just shrugged, not getting it either.

There was another sign that he checked with it saying that this was indeed Woodfall.

So where was the temple?

He could see quite a few wooden planks with Deku Flowers nearby, all leading up to some sort of wooden platform-he could see an Owl Statue in there as well with some trees across from the platform.

Narrowing his eyes, Jaune began to hop across the poisoned bog, catching Tatl by surprise as she flew after him. "Hey you see something?" She asked going back into the hood.

"I dink so." Jaune got out, barely making it to the first stump where the plank led to a Flower. "Just let me get to dat Platform."

Tatl kept quiet at hearing that, especially when Jaune found himself having to fire a snot bubble at some sort of bug-like creature that charged at him along with taking out some other Deku Scrubs.

These Scrubs were nothing like the ones he saw considering they were bright red with Tatl explaining how they were Mad Scrubs who lost all sense of self for some odd reason, so they were essentially empty husks who attacked others on sight.

So Jaune didn't feel bad about taking them out, especially when it freed up their Deku Flowers to get to the Platform where he landed on a small podium with a Deku Scrub mark showing.

"After all that, still no temple," Tatl muttered with Jaune's shoulders drooping. "Don't get me wrong you've definitely did good but we need to find it."

"But vere could it be?" Jaune went to ask only to pause as his head began to hurt.

For some odd reason he was seeing images of that lone Deku who stared at him back at the palace and from how he was seeing things he assumed that he was standing right next to the guy.

There was a slight show of affection with the guy rubbing Deku Jaune's head as the temple could be seen right across from them with the tree's that were currently across from him right above it.

Shaking his head to clear it, Jaune was wondering what that was before he remembered the song that the monkey taught him and he grinned pulling the Deku Pipes out.

That action confused Tatl before Jaune began to play the Sonata of Awakening.

At first nothing happened, but a loud rumbling sound cut off any sign of disappointment with Jaune barely keeping his balance with the very vibrant shaking that followed with the trees in the middle of the bog slowly rising revealing a stone temple that was hidden beneath it.

"How in the name of Termina did you figure that out?" Tatl asked in awe, not expecting for that to happen.

Deciding not to say anything about the weird vision going through his head, Jaune brought up the other reason. "Da monkey said da song vas needed to get into da Temple, I just guessed dat it vas here and dat it needed to be played."

But he looked back at the temple, feeling his limbs locking up a bit in slight fear.

This was it.

If they were right, in this temple was one of the ways to put a stop to Skull Kid's crazy plans of genocide. If they were wrong than this was all for nothing and they were back at square one.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Jaune used the Deku Flower to fly towards the Temple, being sure to take the mask off as he walked in.

…

The creepiness factor of the Woodfall Temple went up as he entered with it being extremely dark, Tatl flying out of his hood once more to give him some light as he took it off, shivering from the cold given how wet his clothes were.

"Hey there's a Stray Fairy!" Tatl called out, resulting in Jaune looking up to see a green fairy flying around but it hid at seeing him.

' _Right the Great Fairy told us to find the shattered pieces at the temple, that proves this is the right temple._ ' Jaune thought happily, reaching into his Gear Bag to pull the Fairy Mask out to put on, noticing how the hair was now sparkling due to the fairy close by.

After a second the Stray Fairy slowly flew towards him, giving him some trust due to the mask he had on and much to Jaune's surprise the mask absorbed the fairy.

' _ **Young one, look for the other fourteen fairies in this temple.**_ ' A voice whispered before the mask's power died down.

' _Fourteen?_ ' Jaune was amazed at how many stray fairies were loose in this place but he took the mask off to help him see only to pale at the dark shapes that were now in front of him with beady yellow eyes.

Reacting instantly, Jaune drew Crocea Mors and spun in a circle, releasing some magic that sliced through them quite easily. "The heck are these?!"

"Those are Black Boes, they usually hide in the shadows and attack in groups, but they're very easy to put down if you have a good weapon," Tatl got out with Jaune getting ready, now jumping at them. "You can fight them easily like this or as a Scrub with your spinning attack!"

… He should probably train his Deku Form up in case he gets into a fight while turned into that, he'll add that to the list for his training schedule after this temple was taken care of.

Jaune will admit he was happy with how easy it was to clear them out before he saw a few platforms ahead of him with Deku Flowers showing what he would need to do-was that a treasure chest?

He'll admit to being excited at seeing one as while there was a huge end of the world scenario going on, it was a bit exciting to be exploring an ancient temple and seeing the treasures within.

… This was what was keeping his mind off of what would happen should they fail.

Taking his time to get over there, Jaune opened it only to be surprised when a second stray fairy shot out of there, being enveloped in the Fairy Mask that was in his bag.

"... Vell at least ve have to find thirteen more." Jaune said after processing that. "But vhy are dere chests in here?"

"The Temples being sacred sometimes protect certain items, some of the chests can be seen and they have common stuff like rupees, but others are revealed after certain events like a map of this Dungeon." Tatl took the explanation with Jaune crossing his arms in thought. "But the map itself is useless without a compass that you would find in a different chest."

Jaune had so many questions about that but decided to just roll with it.

They barely had two days and he needed to find the Deku Princess, the rest of the Stray Fairies and the one that Tael spoke of to help him stop Skull Kid.

He'll question this when he has the time.

Taking the time to shoot snot bubbles at the Skulltulas hanging above the nearby door to knock them away, Jaune entered the next room to find himself staring at a podium in the middle of the acid water with four strange plants floating in said water, he was currently in an upper floor of the room with a ramp leading down but no way to the door on the other side of the upper part of this floor.

"Watch it, those are Carnivorous Lily Pads!"

"C-C-Carnivorous?!" Jaune squeaked out in slight fear.

"Yeah but as long as you're a Deku you're fine, you're wood not meat and your current body weight won't set them off, if you were human however." Tatl let that die down for Jaune to get the idea.

"R-Right." Jaune muttered, taking the ramp to go down.

The room didn't really hold a lot of secrets except for a Deku Baba that Jaune spun around to kill-deciding to stay in Deku Form for the time being and to his surprise a third Stray Fairy popped out of the dead enemy leaving him confused along with some sort of stick that Tatl said he should keep with him.

It seemed that he shouldn't leave anything in a room untouched when searching for the fairies. That was how he found a fourth one in a pile of pots that were across the acid lake near another door.

From there on he went through a different room using the lone Deku Flower to get to yet another room only for bars to slide down the door preventing him from leaving as he saw three turtles not unlike the ones from the forest now spinning towards him.

Giving a shout, Jaune jumped out of the way only to get hit by the third turtle after dodging the first two the force of it sending him across the room.

"Vhat are dese dings?!" Jaune shouted his words getting a bit more jumbled in his panic.

"Snapper Turtles!" Tatl had to fly high to avoid getting hit by them. "The way these things move they never expose the weak parts of their bodies!"

Filing that in his mind as Jaune pushed himself up, he guessed it was the stomach given how it was a turtle.

Great, how was he supposed-there was a Deku Flower in this room.

Gaining an idea, Jaune ran hearing the three spinning after him before he dived into the flower, waiting until they spun above to shoot out, the spike coming out of his head obliterating the three of them.

' _Huh not so tough when I have a plan._ ' Jaune thought a bit cockily.

Sure getting cocky was a bad thing but given how a month ago when he was trapped in this form he couldn't even protect himself against a freaking dog he felt he was a bit justified in feeling that way after taking on three Snappers who could easily tear him into pieces.

Thankfully the bars on the door receded but Jaune stopped from leaving when he saw a swirl of lights in the middle of the room that turned into a rather big chest.

Initially confused, Jaune figured this was what Tatl meant when completing certain events makes a chest appears. It seemed that this certain event was clearing the room of monsters.

So he opened it, having to struggle before jumping in to find a map.

"That will make getting through here much easier." Tatl said with a sigh while Jaune looked it over to see that this Dungeon had two floors with multiple rooms on each before he saw something interesting. "If we can find the Compass we'll know exactly where to go."

"Da fairies ve found are on here." Jaune pointed out with Tatl stopping to check. "How is dat possible?"

Tatl flew around the map slowly to look over it. "Don't know, you think it has something to do with how the Great Fairy remembered us after time restarted?"

Jaune didn't answer that as it was the same way the Bombers Notebook seemed to work with it automatically recording certain events whenever he played the Song of Time… Then again he was in a world where magic was common knowledge and he was stuck in a time loop where a kid with an ancient mask was making the moon that had a face fall, so why was he questioning this of all things?

Shaking his head, Jaune exited the room to have a good view of a chest that he missed with it being across the poisoned water, a good enough distance to use the Deku Flower in the middle to get to.

Thinking it was another Stray Fairy, Jaune hopped across the water and used the Deku Flower to get to it only to be surprised when he found a silver key instead.

…

It went on for awhile with Jaune backtracking and finding a locked door that he used the key on, ending up in yet another room with a stone block that he had to turn back to normal to move, but it was still pretty damn heavy.

Once that was done and he caught his breath Jaune continued on before killing the Skulltula that nearly knocked him into the water.

"I'm really starting to hate these things." Jaune muttered to himself in annoyance, sheathing his sword, not that surprised when a Stray Fairy flew into the mask after he killed it bringing the total that he found up to five.

"You? They eat fairies!" Tatl remarked, staying in his hood to avoid being eaten in case there were more. "At least you can fight them."

Jaune chuckled, looking around the room to see a door with bars on it and a torch that was unlit near it while he was standing next to a lit torch.

While confused, Jaune figured that perhaps he should light the unlit torch to have some light over there, perhaps he'll be able to find a switch to get rid of those bars?

Looking from the lit torch to the other one, Jaune wondered how he would do that without burning himself before his eyes lit up.

That stick that Tatl suggested he keep with him, what did she call it a Deku Stick?

That didn't matter, he pulled it out of his bag and lit the end before he ran across the bridge, now wanting to burn himself given how the whole thing was made of wood.

Much to his surprise the bars actually receded when he lit the torch showing that was the key to opening it before he shook the stick to snuff out the flame with it being an inch shorter now.

"Nice thinking, we should probably keep as many Deku Sticks with us as we can in case there are more." Tatl suggested while Jaune entered the room only to have a repeat of when he entered the room with the snappers, only it was two Dragonflies.

"Huh I was kind of worried for a second." Jaune commented pulling his sword out with a grin and he easily took them down after luring them towards him and like last time a chest appeared.

It was a little funny how much easier it was to open this chest compared to the one when he was a Scrub before he found a blue compass that was now glowing along with the map that he had in his bag.

So pulling the map out, Jaune was surprised with the compass literally merging with the map and he could see other chests showing on the map along with his current location showing that somehow this map was a freaking GPS.

Now he could see what Tatl meant about having a map and compass being useful because this was just awesome.

Though there seemed to be a skull on the map near the furthest end of the room, but Jaune had no idea what that was.

Putting it up, Jaune went back to the room only to see a green glow above him and looked up to see two floating platforms with beehives on them, he could scarcely see a green glow emanating from one of them.

Guessing that was a Stray Fairy, Jaune pulled out the Deku Mask while also noting some stairs to the side leading up towards the platforms so after he gets this Fairy he'll head up to see where that led to.

One use of Snot Bubble later, Jaune moved up the stairs to see another unlit torch and the way forward past the two podiums blocked off by webs.

Tilting his head a bit, Jaune slammed a fist into the palm of his hand with an idea forming in his head, pulling out the Deku Stick and rushing down towards the torch he lit earlier-were those moths circling the flames?

Where did they come fro-that wasn't important right now.

Ignoring that, Jaune lit the stick only to be surprised when the moths began to actually attack and bite at him.

Giving a yelp as he waved the lit stick around, Jaune ran back up the stairs with the moths chasing him, lighting the torch up there before hurling the extremely short Deku Stick into the webs, burning them.

Now that he no longer had the flame, the moths left him alone.

"You could've warned me." Jaune muttered as those moths actually drew blood with the bite marks on his face and hands.

Tatl flew out to give him a look, her body ringing with indignation. "I had no idea that would happen!" She protested as while she knew a lot about large monsters she didn't know that moths would act like that.

Jaune gave a start before sighing, placing his left hand on his head to ruffle his hair before leaning against the wall to slide down. "Sorry." He muttered feeling slightly guilty for snapping like that.

It wasn't fair to put the blame on Tatl for this one… It was his own fault.

"Tatl, when we rewind time again can you show me the best place to gain information on Termina?" Jaune asked looking at her.

It was something he should've done while he was training, yet he put it off to just focus purely on his swordsmanship and while that was definitely improving he can't expect to survive everything that he'll need to go through to bring Skull Kid down on that alone.

And he can't risk just having Tatl know everything given how easily one of them could die.

Tatl looked visibly surprised by the request, Jaune chuckled at how he was beginning to read her moods depending on how bright her light was, or how she flew.

"Yeah, you do need to know about Termina." Tatl agreed chiding herself for not thinking about that.

They covered each other pretty well with Tatl having the information about stuff while Jaune could fight, but should she go down while Jaune was clueless about most of the monsters in Termina then he would be in big danger.

Jaune sighed before he stood back up with a determined look at where the spider webs used to be. "You ready to go partner?"

That question made Tatl fly up in surprise.

Truth be told, she was thinking they should probably rewind time now and do that before coming back, but she saw the determination that Jaune was showing and understood.

If they turn back now, they will never stop Skull Kid.

"Let's do this." Tatl agreed with Jaune grinning before they jumped to the platforms to enter the next room.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

 _ **Okay I'm ending it here, I was going to put in the whole temple in this one but with everything that happens along with the after temple stuff I figured that I could make this a two parter… And honestly I think I kept people waiting on this long enough.**_

 _ **I am so sorry for the hiatus on this story, especially with how many people loved it and I will try my best to ensure that I try to update this one as frequent as the others.**_

 _ **But anyways Jaune is in his first temple and he seems to be doing alright, I took out the whole sneaking through the palace with the beans thing because while Link was good at that Jaune definitely isn't, nor would he think about that the way he is now.**_

 _ **And I'm also taking some liberties of changing some things up in the story such as Jaune deciding to get to know more about Termina after this as after a whole month of being there all he did was work on Swordsmanship instead of studying where he was at.**_

… _**That was my fault because I didn't think to add something like that in there.**_

 _ **I'm also hoping to change some stuff up with how he would use magic-I'm not talking some OP Doctor Strange magic, but stuff that Link was able to do in other games. Like in the Adventures of Link how Link was able to use Magic to increase his defensive abilities, to jump twice as high, the Life spell to heal, ect. And possible the medallions in A Link to the Past or something close to them.**_

 _ **I mean he has Magic so why wouldn't he try to learn more about it?**_

 _ **But I wouldn't mind possibly adding something that Leon in Kingdom Hearts did with using Magic to enhance his sword to make it longer.**_

 _ **Oh and I also know that there's no Owl Statue outside of the Deku Palace but I moved the one the one that was by the waterfall where you originally learned the Song of Soaring in the original Majoras Mask to there.**_

 _ **Anyways I should probably answer the reviews so I can post this huh?**_

 _ **Zaralann: 1) True, so very true. How it happens will make all the difference if I do have him unlock Aura. 2) I am so sorry for spacing out on that part of the review. I'm not sure if I would have him venture into other parts of the game because I want to do something unique when he's in Remnant, but Midna is a kickass partner… Fi however will make an appearance I can promise that.**_

 _ **BruceLeeNagato: Haha thank you, I'm happy that you're enjoying this fic, sorry for the wait.**_

 _ **DiddleySquat: Yeah, he won't really take it well but he'll still keep trying for his own reasons that will be revealed eventually.**_

 _ **Avalon: He'll definitely learn Archery given the weapon that he'll find in this temple. Hookshot is a must and I love the Bomb Arrows in Twilight Princess so that is definitely coming, though only in Remnant given how I have Bombs work in this fic, I'm thinking perhaps Dust Infused Arrows would work quite nicely? As hilarious as him using a flying chicken would be I probably won't do that… Unless I decide to do Omakes in the future, then that would definitely happen. I might get him to turn into a Wolf because that would be pretty cool to do. Amber… I'll have to decide what to do with her when I get to that point, but the fairy in a bottle would be funny to do should he do that.**_

 _ **Cra0007: Haha yeah I know what you mean and Majoras Mask was always a favorite of mine as a kid, though I never did beat it growing up until it was remade not because of difficulty but because of those damn Wallmasters, they scared the shit out of me as a kid, along with how dark the game got it did scare me.**_

 _ **Hashirama 1710: Pretty damn strong, enough to definitely keep up and stay ahead of Team RWBY and the rest of JNPR, but perhaps right under the level of Qrow and Winter in terms of strength. I'm still deciding in how strong I want him to be and trying to avoid him being OP. But he would be able to keep them on their toes considering how when he gets back to Remnant he'll be able to use a number of different weapons, masks, magic and strategies to keep surprising people.**_

 _ **StallionWolf: Oh definitely, while Canon Jaune was pretty cool in my book, this version of Jaune would outright destroy him if they were compared at the time Beacon began.**_

 _ **Suntan140: Thank you and sorry for the wait.**_

 _ **Ariel Schnee: Thanks, it was a blast to type with how much Jaune is changing as he goes through this journey.**_

 _ **Soul: Huh, there's an interesting idea… But I love the Gilded Sword with how awesome it looks… Perhaps I could try and make a compromise with it being a combination, I'll have to think on this some more.**_

 _ **Zeldawolffang: I am so sorry for the long wait.**_

 _ **Mahaad: Don't worry this story isn't abandoned, just had trouble typing it.**_


	6. The Trials of Woodfall Part 2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Legend of Zelda so please no suing!**_

 _ **Summary: Jaune was off on his way to Vale to enter Beacon and start his journey to become a Huntsmen, however on his way he was robbed of a family heirloom and ended up chasing the thief to a world known as Termina. Now stuck in a cycle of repeating three days, will he end up saving the world or will all of Termina die? … He should've stayed home.**_

 _ **Chapter 06: The Trials of Woodfall Part 2**_

Jaune tensed as they came into an extremely dark room when Tatl spoke up. "Be careful… I sense a lot of evil here."

That did nothing to calm Jaune down until he saw that they were Black Boes and this long hallway was filled to the brim with them.

Thinking quickly, Jaune put on the Deku Mask and began to spin like crazy as they swarmed him. Though he was definitely getting very dizzy from how much he was spinning, he was easily tearing through them like paper by doing this.

Tatl had to fly out to avoid being sick, sticking to the ceiling as she kept an eye out for anything that could harm them. "Keep doing that, you're thinning them out!" She called out before noticing something at the end of the hallway. "There are four torches, one of them is lit and a barred door down there."

"Good fing ve got some Deku Sticks." Jaune called out his voice slurring due to how dizzy he was getting until he was stumbling once Tatl told him that he got them all. "Somebody pwease stop da room from spinning."

With that said he fell on his butt, unable to keep his balance.

"Yeah we're definitely going to have to train up your Deku Form, it might be young but it's come in handy in this temple." Tatl remarked with Jaune giving a shaky nod.

A light caught their attention as a chest appeared in the middle of the room so Jaune shakily got up, stumbling before he placed a hand on the wall to keep his balance.

"Forgot vat motion sickness felt like." Jaune muttered given it's been awhile.

Weird that it didn't happen when he was flying, then again he was spinning like crazy so it was to be expected.

With a sigh, Jaune took the mask off and drew a deep breath before he walked down the hall to the chest, opening it to find yet another Stray Fairy. "Man I'm finding these guys a lot easier then when we tried to find the one in Clock Town." Jaune remarked, surprise in his tone.

"So Seven down, eight more to go." Tatl quickly thought back to the ones they already found.

"Exactly… What do you think the Great Fairy of Woodfall will do once we put her back together?" Jaune couldn't help but ask given how the last one gave him magic.

"You're asking the wrong fairy." Tatl's answer made Jaune hang his head a bit before he began to light the torches, happy to have the room light up and the door now unlocked.

Entering it, Jaune saw two moving platform with Deku Flowers along with Dragonflies flying around them.

Looking down below he could see three rather large bottomless holes showing that he should really be careful before seeing another fairy in a bubble in the bottom corner of the room.

So Jaune just walked down the stairs, avoiding the pits to get it, he didn't waste too much time afterwards to get across the room as a Deku Scrub, though there were a few close calls with nearly missing the platforms, especially with the Dragonflies trying to kill him in the air.

With a sigh, once more switching back to Human, Jaune was surprised to find himself in the room with the four Carnivorous Lily Pads, just at a higher level.

Tilting his head a bit, Jaune peeked down to see the poisonous water before accidentally stepping on a switch he didn't see.

He tensed, waiting for something like a boulder to come crashing down like from those movies or arrows to shoot from the walls but to his surprise he just saw a ladder appear, connecting the two floors, creating a shortcut of all things.

"That'll make things easier if we were to fall." Tatl commented while Jaune snorted. "What?"

"If we fall, we would end up being burned alive." He dryly pointed out given how the acid water was the only thing to land in besides the lily pads and he had no desire to be eaten or burned.

Seeing a nearby door, Jaune entered it to find himself in the same room with the lone Deku Flower in the middle of the water leading to the door where he gained the Map, but he was once more on an upper floor where he could see a door nearby.

So he went to move only to barely catch a green glow and turned to see a nearby beehive.

Chuckling and one transformation later, Jaune got the ninth fairy.

Staying in Deku Form, Jaune entered the next room to have it lock behind him. ' _So what monster am I slaying this time-?_ ' Jaune thought only to freeze in pure terror when a bipedal lizard wearing armor and wielding a sword that looked more like a meat cleaver landed in the middle of the room.

The reason he paled however was when it breathed freaking fire and he panicked, moving to get the mask off of him as quickly as possible. He had no desire to fight that thing when he was made of wood, thank you very much!

The lizard didn't wait as it launched at him, so Jaune had to dive out of the way, doing a dodge roll, coming to his feet while unsheathing Crocea Mors in the process before it turned to look at him with its tail swishing.

Okay so this will be his first true test with his sword given how this thing had a sword of its own.

Tensing, Jaune cursed as the lizard kept jumping around, swinging its sword with him barely blocking it before it spun around hitting him with its tail to send him flying back.

"Tatl!" Jaune called out with the fairy getting what he wanted.

"That's a Dinolfos! Keep your shield up and watch its movements, it likes to get behind you and swing, when it breathes in however get out of range of its fire attack!" Tatl explained rapidly with the Dinofols actually managing to cut into Jaune with its sword.

Luckily he jumped back so it was a cut rather than a gash, but it still hurt because Jaune has never been hit like that before. He pushed through it however thinking that the hit from the Dodongo was much worse.

It was too small and definitely smarter so he couldn't trick it to eat a bomb.

Reaching into his gear bag, Jaune pulled out some Deku Nuts and threw one making the Dinolfos cry out as it was now blind and swinging wildly showing that it was still just as dangerous.

Waiting for the right moment, Jaune dove in there with a spin attack, adding some magic as he hit the Dinolfos but it jumped back despite the rather deep cut and shot fire at Jaune who had no time to dodge, so he threw up his shield to block it, trying to ignore the intense heat flickering past the shield before he ran forward, nailing the Dinolfos with the shield in the chest to make it stumble.

Taking advantage of the stumble, Jaune swung his sword, cutting right through the neck, decapitating the Dinolfos as it burned up in flames with Jaune panting like crazy.

The fight and the heat made him sweaty and he had a cut across his shoulder that was bleeding along with a bruised stomach.

If he came in here without any training he would've been dead within seconds.

"Nice job Jaune!" Tatl said happy to see that the blonde swordsman won the fight.

Jaune gave a nod, sheathing his weapon as he thought about using the red potion but decided to save it for when he really needed it. He did however take his hoodie off to try and cool off, wearing nothing but a plain shirt.

He heard the doors unlock but Jaune waited as a chest appeared, no longer surprised by this. Jaune was however wondering what would be in this one given how he had the map and compass, so he had no idea what else there could be… Perhaps the next fairy was in there.

So he approached and opened the chest only to blink in surprise.

There was a bow and a quiver of arrows laying in there that he grabbed in confusion.

A Bow and Arrow? Okay looking back, Jaune realized he hasn't seen a gun since coming to Termina so it does make sense but isn't this a bit old school?

Then again he fights with a sword and shield, in a way this would give him a ranged attack if it wasn't for the fact that he had no idea how to use a bow properly.

"Wait I've seen this in a book before, it's the Hero's Bow!" Tatl flew in to examine it. "It's an ancient weapon that helped saved Termina once."

"Hero's Bow?" Jaune whispered in awe at the name considering that was what he wanted to be.

Feeling a bit giddy, Jaune grabbed an arrow from the quiver and notched it on the string of the bow even though he was most likely doing it wrong but Tatl quickly flew out of the way not wanting to be in the line of fire as Jaune aimed at a nearby pillar hoping to use it as a target.

What he wasn't expecting was for the bow string to slap the flesh on the inside of his arm, making him yelp while the arrow flew past the pillar, hitting the wall.

He didn't care right now as he was now holding his arm that had a red welt on it.

"Yeah you should try to keep your arms covered if you want to use it," Tatl was trying very hard not to laugh while Jaune glared from the bow to the fairy showing that she wasn't doing a good job at not laughing. "But a bow is really handy, keeps you from being limited to close range and you don't have to shoot snot bubbles, we're going to be training you up on using it later."

Grumbling to himself, Jaune agreed and grabbed the quiver to clasp onto his back before placing the bow in the gear bag.

Though he was annoyed at his self-inflicted injury, Jaune didn't let that keep him down considering he had a new weapon that he'll definitely be working hard to master.

Still he sat down to catch his breath given how he's been doing nothing but running around this temple nonstop, he doesn't know how long he's been inside for all he knew it could be night time.

He knew at least that it was still the second day, otherwise he would've felt the ground shaking.

After resting for a few minutes, Jaune pulled the map out to see that there were only a few rooms to explore in this temple showing that he was almost done with it. And he had about half of the fairies so he was hoping to find the Deku Princess soon.

Who knows, perhaps he already defeated the monster the Monkey warned him about considering how tough that Dinolfos was… Please let that be the toughest.

Huh, there was a room right across from the exit that has a chest, he'll have to look into that.

And he should probably get going, he rested long enough.

So Jaune stood back up, placing the hoodie back on while noting how quiet Tatl was being. "You alright?" He asked seeing her flying around the room in a way that seemed like a person pacing.

"Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine," Tatl said unconvincingly with Jaune quirking a brow. "I really don't want to talk about it."

Seeing how she wouldn't budge, Jaune gave a nod.

He shouldn't pry, especially considering where they were.

' _She hasn't done that in awhile._ ' Jaune thought with Tatl going back in his hood, she deemed that her safe place while in this temple considering the Skulltulas.

It was something that Tatl has been doing since their first cycle of three days.

Since Tael's death.

In all their time training they never did confirm if going back did bring Tael back to life and he could see that not knowing was really beginning to grate on Tatl even though she tried her best to hide it.

…

"So I have to shoot the eye?" Jaune asked to make sure as they were back in the other room where Tatl pointed out a use for the Hero's Bow with the gold diamond shaped relic across the room with an eye on it.

"It's a switch for the temple, it's also good practice for you right now." Tatl elaborated with Jaune rolling his eyes at the small slight at him because of what he just did.

"Yeah, yeah." Jaune muttered happy to have his hoodie on to protect his arms from the bowstring before he notched an arrow, shakily holding it up as he did struggle a bit to pull it back.

He really needed to get this down.

Firing an arrow, Jaune grimaced as he missed the eye-he didn't even come close to it.

But he wasn't one to give up and after ten attempts he finally hit it.

Much to his surprise the Deku Flower in the middle of the water below began to go up and back down, much like an elevator and he realized what it was for.

So once more he transformed with the mask and hopped across the water when the platform came down, barely getting on it when it began to go up. Once at a high enough height he used the Deku Flower to fly across and enter the room only for it to lock behind him.

"Again?!" Jaune shouted in shock, pulling the mask off.

He wasn't expecting that again so soon.

Looking around for his opponent, Jaune was caught off guard when he saw a tall orange frog-like creature that began hopping around, glaring at him.

"That's a Gekko. And it's pretty angry!" Tatl quickly cut in before the fight could start. "But they're pretty weak, as long as you keep your guard up this will be easy."

Jaune gave a nod, unsheathing his sword once more.

This thing was tricky, but it wasn't as dangerous as the Dinolfos considering he didn't have to worry about a sword. Not that he didn't keep his guard up whenever it got too close as it seemed to be one to throw punches.

Block and slash. Block and slash.

He could tell that this Gekko was getting very annoyed at how Jaune was countering him before it had enough and gave a cry with a Snapper blasting out of the water.

Caught off guard, Jaune jumped back with the Snapper barely missing him, the Gekko now getting on its back actually steering the monster towards the blonde. ' _Oh great this just got complicated._ '

They weren't giving him much room to think with Jaune jumping and rolling out of the way, not trusting that he could block the Snapper with his shield without serious injury. But he knew he had to get rid of the Snapper before he could focus on the Gekko given how it was only a threat with the two together.

Eyes scanning the room as he jumped to the side, dodging yet again his eyes fell upon a Deku Flower.

While he would've called that a lucky break, Jaune knew it was because this temple was worshipped by the Deku that the flowers were always there.

So he threw a Deku Nut to momentarily blind the Gekko before rushing towards the Flower, sliding as he put his mask on to dive in right as the Snapper who quickly gave chase, popping out to knock both of them off the ground, blowing a snot bubble at Gekko to stun it before spinning with his head spike killing the Snapper.

Landing on his feet, Jaune took the Deku Mask off before he saw the Gekko recover from the snot attack and began to climb the wall towards the Ceiling.

Great, if he could actually shoot the Hero's Bow that would be no problem. But he couldn't do that and the Ceiling was too high for the snot bubble to reach without bursting.

Unsheathing Crocea Mors, Jaune kept the shield put up and reached behind him right as the Gekko lunged, thinking he was an easy hit without the shield, not hearing the hissing that erupted behind Jaune who counted to two before he threw a bomb at the surprised Gekko's face, the explosion stunning it long enough for Jaune to rush in and slice across his chest, finishing the fight.

Much to his surprise however instead of burning to ashes, the Gekko turned into a frog that just croaked and hopped around the room. Initially bewildered by the sight, Jaune brushed it off when the door unlocked showing that the fight was over but he turned his attention to the other side of the room where he could see a barred wall with a door, there was a fancy gold and royal blue chest inside with a red jewel showing on the front.

Considering how different the chest looked from the other ones, Jaune figured it had to be important so he entered the small room to open it only to find a key.

Unlike the silver key however he saw that it was a solid gold key with a red skull shaped jewel in the handle.

Looking it over, Jaune remembered the skull shape on the map and wondered if this key had something to do with that shape before placing said key inside of his Gear Bag.

Tatl who was silent spoke up. "I have to say Jaune you really showed some creativity in that fight." She commented with how Jaune switched tactics on the fly.

He never did that before with any of his fights.

Jaune gave a low chuckle, showing some exhaustion. "Just remembered something the Swordsman told me," He said thinking back to the man who taught him how to fight. "I need to know where and when to strike, in other words what I do and how I move would make all the difference."

And throughout all of those other fights he never needed to switch between his different weapons like that. If nothing else this was showing him how far he truly had to go if he ever wanted to survive Termina.

* * *

After a bit they were back in the main chamber as Jaune frowned at seeing an unlit torch in the middle of a wooden flower that was out of his reach before seeing a lit torch in a strange position.

Looking between the two, Jaune remembered the eye switch and grimaced.

He'll have to use the Hero's Bow won't he?

Resigning himself to that, Jaune got ready while Tatl kept an eye out for any surprise attacks and aimed, having some trouble lining the shot up given how he was looking through the flames before shooting the arrow.

It missed and hit one of the carnivorous flowers making it burn up hissing as Jaune winced.

"Well at least it was a monster you hit." Tatl commented, looking on the bright side of this.

Jaune frowned as he tried again and hit the wall past the wooden flower.

Okay this was starting to get annoying.

With a look of impatience, Jaune shot a few more tries before Tatl intervened. "Jaune you need to stay calm, remember you haven't used a bow before so no one's expecting you to be a marksman with it." She chided him while Jaune winced at the reminder.

"I-I know but what if I need to be good with this to find and release the one that Tael spoke of?" Jaune asked not meaning to bring him up with how quiet Tatl got before he continued. "I don't want to restart the clock and have to do this all again."

Seeing as how Tatl was being quiet, Jaune looked her way before realizing why.

"Sorry I didn't mean to bring-."

"It's fine," Tatl interrupted though there wasn't any heat in her tone. "But if we have to we will restart the cycle."

Looking down, Jaune tried once more and took a deep breath as he focused.

The Hero's Bow still felt awkward to hold but he ignored it and tried to line it up, aiming a little higher due to how his last few attempts fell short.

Breathe in… Breathe out.

Eventually Jaune let the arrow fly and this time he actually managed to hit the target with the torch on the wooden flower lighting up.

He was expecting for a door to unlock or show itself, what he wasn't expecting was for the wooden flower to unfold and rise up, spinning around.

What surprised him even further was the acid water actually clearing up, becoming a clear blue, the smell of the poison slowly disappearing along with the Carnivorous Plants dying.

Did he just-?

"Jaune I think you just purified the water." Tatl said just as surprised as he was.

Deciding to test that, Jaune pulled out a deku stick and dropped it in the water, it floated there without dissolving.

Perhaps magic had a role in how quickly it was purified but he smiled.

He solved one of the swamps major problems if this extended towards it, or perhaps it was just another part of the temple?

His smile however disappeared when he saw another unlit torch in the corner and it was blocked off to where he wouldn't be able to use this torch to light it. The only torch left available was the one on the spinning platform.

Oh son of a-.

…

It took forever for Jaune to get that one lit as he was almost out of arrows, but it unlocked the other door that Jaune was trying to get showing how it was worth it.

He did find two more stray fairies in this room as well, one in a bubble while the other one he found by stepping on a switch that made a chest appear.

Checking the map he had, Jaune saw that this was the last room before that skull emblem showing that he was almost done exploring this temple and he couldn't help but smile.

This would definitely make for one hell of a story to tell his family should he make it back through he would take out the whole end of the world and reliving three days part, just add in exploring an ancient temple.

That was something none of his sisters did.

The last room was rather big with plenty of Deku Flowers around and he looked at the wall behind him to see various alcoves showing how he was supposed to climb up. He'll deal with the Dragonflies flying around when he goes up-.

Looking at the alcoves he could see three green glows, two on the left alcoves while one on the right one and looked around the room to see a fourth fairy in a bubble surrounded by flames. The last four were in this room. That was a relief considering he didn't need to retrace his steps to look for the rest now.

He could even see a rather large door with a golden lock on the other side of the room showing what that key he found was for.

' _I wonder what's in that room._ ' Jaune thought curiously.

Perhaps the one he needed to find was in there along with the Deku Princess.

Unless she was in this room, Jaune didn't see or hear any signs of the Deku Princess in all of the other rooms.

Keeping an eye on the Dragonflies, Jaune easily got the three fairies in the alcoves considering each one of the alcoves had its own Deku Flower, allowing for easy movement, but he was truly stump as to how to get the last stray fairy without burning it.

"Maybe there's a switch to get rid of the flames?" Tatl offered with Jaune agreeing with that line of thinking after seeing everything else in this temple.

He'll have to find a way to pop the bubble too after getting rid of the flames… Hopefully he'll be close enough that the Snot Bubble will hit it so he wouldn't have to rely on his arrows.

Mostly because he didn't want to accidentally skewer the Stray Fairy with an arrow.

It took some looking around, but eventually Jaune managed to find a silver relic looking item that was pretty high up and used a snot bubble to hit it, making the flames disappear.

Giving a cheer, Jaune shot a snot bubble at the fairy to release it, already swapping the Deku Mask for the Great Fairy Mask to have the fairy fly towards him-what was making that ticking noise?

As the last fairy was absorbed inside of the mask, Jaune jumped when there was a loud noise and the flames appeared once more.

… So the switch had a time limit?

Good to know, especially since there was another podium with flames on it that held a Deku Flower. Taking the time to think about this, Jaune gave a nod, putting the Deku Mask back on and hitting the switch before quickly rushing to a Deku Flower to get over there and immediately diving into this certain flower.

He made it through the skin of his teeth as he shot out of the flower right as the time ran out and flames appeared.

Any later and he would've been burned to death.

Giving a sigh, Jaune landed in front of the locked door, taking the Deku Mask back off. "Man that was way too close." He commented, putting it up. "So Tatl any thoughts about what's in here?"

"I have no clue, this is the first time I've been to any of the temples." Tatl explained with Jaune giving a nod, accepting that answer. "But still it's the way to go right now."

With that said and done, Jaune pulled out the gold key and put it in the lock, the lock falling the the ground with a rather large thud before the stone door opened up with Jaune walking in.

Jaune found himself in a rather large, round room with no way in or out but the door he came in which slammed shut behind him… No bars covered the door and nothing attacked him, so Jaune wasn't sure what to expect.

Looking around the room he saw that had quite the ornate design with crude tribal drawings on the walls showing various Deku's along with four rather tall creatures that he would assume to be the Giants.

There seemed to be various plants around the rooms that looked suspiciously like bombs with a lone golden Deku Flower in the middle.

Looking up, in case an attack came from above, Jaune swallowed as the ceiling was pitch black, he couldn't even see it.

That was very unsettling.

The silence was heavy between both Jaune and Tatl, they knew why.

It was quiet… Too quiet.

Even without monsters in the other rooms they could hear the movement of water and crackling of flames, even some small patches of grass rustling.

Here the only thing he could hear was his pounding heart.

Hesitantly, Jaune took a few steps forward, his footsteps echoing in the room giving it a more eerie feeling, unfolding the sheath of his sword into a shield, but leaving the sword in it for the moment before the silence was shattered by what sounded like a steady drumbeat.

His head snapping side to side, Jaune gripped the hilt of his sword, pulling it out of his shield, ready for a fight before he heard a whooshing sound and barely had time to look up when a giant of a figure landed on the Deku Flower, flattening it.

Jaune was terrified because this figure was at least twenty feet tall with green skin, tribal war paint all over his body, he wore a mask that had the same style war paint on it, an open mouth giving it the image of a person growling, adding to the terrifying image with three ribbons standing erect on its head.

It even had its own sword and shield that made Jaune's look like a mini toothpick with the sword being longer than twelve feet.

This figure slashed the sword toward Jaune, not attacking him but to intimidate him and it worked as even though it was nowhere close to Jaune, he could feel the breeze of the attack.

It was taking Jaune every ounce of willpower to not piss himself right now.

"N-No way that's Odolwa the Masked Jungle Warrior," Tatl breathed in shock, shaking behind Jaune showing how serious this was. "He's an ancient monster that nearly destroyed the Swamp many centuries ago, he was defeated by one of the four Guardian Deities."

Jaune's throat felt dry as he swallowed the lump that formed upon hearing that.

T-This was the monster that the monkey spoke of.

If he even gets hit once by that sword it's over.

Odolwa lunged at Jaune who threw his shield up, too scared to jump out of the way.

Sparks flew as the shield blocked the sword, the sheer force that Odolwa was showing nearly knocked Jaune off of his feet as he swung again, the blow being enough to break Jaune's guard as his left arm which held the shield was knocked back before he tried to cut Jaune in half.

Now coming to his senses, Jaune did a dodge roll, actually jumping over the sword that was swinging low, jumping back to put some space between them but Odolwa wasn't playing around, easily shortening that space due to his large size.

' _Okay he's big and fast, not a good combo,_ ' Jaune thought doing nothing but dodging as he had no time to do a counter attack and he wasn't risking it. ' _But I need to do something, I can't dodge forever._ '

The only thing he could do was go in close but Odolwa had a lot of range with his giant sword.

Having enough Odolwa moved, becoming a blur with Jaune cursing.

Oh great, he could go faster.

Thankfully he could track the blur due to the afterimages before he threw up his shield again only to have Odolwa kick him, sending him rolling as his sword was sent flying out of his hand.

"Jaune, get up!" Tatl shouted with Jaune groaning as he could taste iron showing that he was kicked hard enough to cough up blood.

It was amazing that he didn't break anything-Oh crap!

Jaune rolled out of the way as a sword came down where his head was a second ago, making it to his feet, Jaune quickly glanced around to try and find his sword only to curse.

Odolwa was between him and his sword, cutting him off.

This was very bad, up until now he fought mindless monsters who were predictable, who followed a pattern. Now he was fighting a monster who can think and plan.

As Odolwa lunged at him, Jaune came up with a stupid idea, jumping out of the way and pulling out a mask he swore to never use.

The Bomb Mask.

Placing it on his face, Jaune waited to block the sword strike, using the momentum to spin, putting him closer towards Odolwa as he focused his magic.

 _ **-Kaboooom-**_

Odolwa cried out in pain, taking a step back as Jaune grimaced, burns showing on his armor with his hands bleeding a bit.

Taking off his mask, Jaune was shown to have burns on the sides of his face with soot in his hair, some blood dripping from the burns before he threw a Deku Nut at Odolwa's face who blocked it with a shield.

It was the opening he needed to grab his sword, only for Odolwa to move and slam his shield into Jaune's shield arm as he wasn't able to raise it in time despite Tatl's warning, a loud crack filling the air.

White filled Jaune's vision as a hot flashing pain overcame him with his left arm going limp in an awkward position showing that it was broken before Odolwa went to slice him, Jaune using his sword to block. But the force was enough to send Jaune flying right into a wall where he slid down it coughing up more blood, his vision swimming.

"Odolwa! Odolwa!" Odolwa began to chant, seemingly taunting Jaune before he raised his sword to do a finishing blow.

It didn't come as Tatl actually flew out and somehow grabbed the ribbons on Odolwa's mask, tugging at them annoying the monster who was now trying to swat at her.

Trying to keep awake, Jaune hissed in pain as he tried to straighten his arm out, knowing that Tatl wouldn't be able to distract him forever before reaching in his bag to pull out the bottle of Red Potion, downing it.

Another flash of immense pain filled Jaune as his arm fixed itself before it stopped with him panting.

It ached but it wasn't broken anymore, on the bright side his other injuries were fixed.

Odolwa hasn't noticed yet with Jaune taking full advantage of it as he ran in there, stabbing his foot making Odolwa cry out in shock before he jumped and was on the other side of the room with Tatl flying close to Jaune.

"You alright?" Tatl asked in concern, looking just as scared as Jaune.

"I am, thanks for distracting him." Jaune said smiling at her, but keeping his gaze on Odolwa who began to dance around as several large blue bugs began to fall from the ceiling and crawl towards Jaune who knew he couldn't fight them and Odolwa at the same time.

So he pulled a bomb out and threw it, hoping to kill a few, much to his surprise however they all went towards the bomb showing that light drew them.

He didn't watch them all explode, sending bits of them all over the place with Jaune jumping back to dodging Odolwa who began to dance once more with a ring of fire now surrounding them.

"This is insane!" Tatl cried out having to take cover in Jaune's hoodie due to the flames.

' _You're telling me._ ' Jaune thought terrified.

And there was no escape because he knew that Odolwa wouldn't just let him play the Song of Soaring or the Song of Time.

The only way to survive was to win.

He was pretty low on a lot of his gear and he had no more of the potion in case he needed it.

Throwing another Deku Nut, Jaune ran in when Odolwa blocked it and sliced at his foot before jumping to the side to dodge another sword strike, using hit and run tactics.

Odolwa however realized that and jumped keeping his distance before he breathed in and much to Jaune's shock he began to breathe out those moths that attacked him in an earlier part of the temple.

Cursing, Jaune had to run as they chased him with Odolwa watching his movements, most likely planning on when and where to strike.

"Jaune, Bomb Mask!" Tatl suggested with him grimacing.

But he listened as he could see what she meant by the suggestion.

The moths were too small to try and cut with his sword along with there being too many. The explosion would definitely be able to take out a lot, if not all of them.

So he placed it on and braced himself before the explosion took care of them, he had no time to take it off with having to block Odolwa's sword once more. It was like a dance with him blocking each strike, having to move to keep from being knocked off balance.

But his arms were getting tired showing that if he didn't end this fight soon then he wouldn't be able to win.

Eyes scanning the room looking for something to use, his eyes fell upon the Deku Flower and an insane idea flashed through his head. If it didn't work he was dead. If he did nothing he was dead… He had to risk it.

Given how he was still wearing the Bomb Mask, Jaune focused and the explosion stunned Odolwa long enough for him to throw his last Deku Nut, blinding him.

Now on borrowed time, Jaune ran towards the Deku Flower, pulling out the Deku Mask to put on as he could hear Odolwa recover and chasing after him.

One transformation later, Jaune dove in there, feeling the sword barely miss where his head was as he was inside of the flower with Odolwa chanting in anger before Jaune let himself fly with a spin, his head spike slicing into Odolwa making him stumble as Jaune was pretty high into the air before he let go of the flowers and took his mask off, replacing it with the bomb mask, now gripping his sword and shield.

Odolwa roared and jumped up about ready to end this with Jaune blocking, using the momentum to do a flip to where he was now sliding down the freaking sword, jumping off and actually kicking Odolwa in the face making him jerk a bit before jamming his sword in the guys shoulder, actually managing to position himself on Odolwa's back.

' _D-Did I really just do that?!'_ Jaune thought surprised that worked while Odolwa roared in pain and shook around frantically trying to get Jaune off who kept a tight grip on his sword, pushing it in deeper to cause the guy more pain.

Focusing he he used the Bomb Mask once more injuring both himself and Odolwa, dropping his shield to reach back and pull an arrow from the quiver and jam it onto his back.

Jaune repeated that action, using each and every one of his remaining arrows to cause further pain before using the Bomb Mask once more.

As he did so, Odolwa finally managed to throw Jaune off his back, his sword coming out as well with Jaune stumbling as he landed on his feet looking severely injured from all of the explosions so he took off the bomb mask to avoid doing any more damage.

But Odolwa was worse as he was literally on one knee, struggling to keep up showing how much damage Jaune had manage to do with that strategy.

Taking a second to catch his breath, Jaune pulled a bomb out and threw it, the explosion was enough for him to lose focus with Jaune lunging at Odolwa now slicing into his throat with Crocea Mors.

It was silent before Odolwa erupted in flames crying out as his body disappeared, his mask hanging in the air for a split second before falling to the floor.

H-He did it.

Jaune panted heavily in a state of disbelief before he picked up the mask… Odolwa's Remains.

Looking over the mask as Tatl flew out in surprise at how that ended before a bright light filled the room making Jaune cover his eyes.

As it died down, he lowered his arm only to give a start as he was on a platform surrounded by green water and stone pillars, with the water falling off the pillars, mirroring a waterfall a mist surrounding both him and Tatl.

"W-Where are we?" Tatl asked looking around while Jaune kept an eye out for any form of attack. "Wait, I see something!"

Following her gaze, Jaune tensed as he saw a being that was way taller than Odolwa, seeing the large skinny legs through the mist, looking up his neck craning as he did so until he saw that the face was obscured by the mist.

After staring for a bit, Jaune realized that it looked like one of those figures that was crudely drawn on the wall in the room where he faced Odolwa.

That meant this was the Guardian Deity of Woodfall Temple.

Suddenly the Deity threw his longs arms into the air as the area around them began to shake as the deity seemed to be making quite the odd noise, making Jaune cover his ears in pain to try and lessen it.

It was like a trumpet for some odd reason. Like some sort… Of-.

A song. It was showing a song.

Tatl seemed to realize that as well. "What are you waiting for? Get your Ocarina out!"

Grimacing as his ears were hurting from the Deity, Jaune tried to discern the notes before giving it a try, playing the song beat for beat, following its hum. As he finished the notes, the Deity repeated them with Jaune playing in tandem, the two of them creating a melody that reverberated the air around them.

Tatl however could hear the Deity speak. "Call… Us… With… Oath… To… Order." She said once Jaune finished the song.

"Oath to Order?" Jaune asked before seeing the Deity fading away. "W-Wait!"

He tried to hold a hand out to get his attention but yet another bright light filled the air as both he and Tatl were back in the Temple, a room he didn't recognize but he saw a tunnel where light was reaching them.

It seemed that he was teleported to an exit.

The two of them stood there in silence, unable to believe what just happened before Tatl spoke. "The four people that Tael spoke of… That was one of them wasn't it?" She asked with Jaune nodding, wincing in pain from his injuries.

None of them were life threatening but they still stung.

Due to Jaune not saying anything, Tatl then flew around him. "But hey you were amazing in there, even though it was shaky in the beginning you managed to defeat a powerful monster." She said happy that they survived. "That jump in the air was incredible."

"Y-You think so?" Jaune asked a bit sheepish given how he made that part up as he went along.

He was still amazed that worked and he felt proud of himself.

Sure it was terrifying and he nearly died a dozen times in that fight alone, but he won… He won.

Tatl flew up and down as if she was nodding before she hesitated and flew back a bit, giving Jaune some space confusing the blonde. "Hey Jaune… I'm sorry."

Jaune blinked. "For what?"

Tatl let her wings droop. "For dragging you into Termina… Helping Skull Kid steal your Ocarina. Demeaning you when you were a Deku Scrub," She elaborated, her wings drooping even further as she listed off the things she did. "I know I apologized in the beginning but after everything that happened, I wanted to apologize again."

Hearing that, Jaune smiled as he could tell that she really meant it this time. Last time she only said sorry because they were stuck together. Now however she truly meant it.

"It's fine Tatl, I forgave you a long time ago." Jaune said rubbing his neck. "Sure I was angry at the time but I'm happy this did happen."

"How can you be happy?!" Tatl asked flabbergasted by that.

"If I wasn't pulled here then Termina would've been destroyed." Jaune said with her now getting it.

He was the one with the Ocarina. If anyone else was robbed and pulled here they would've died on the first cycle.

As much as he hated being robbed, turned into a child Deku Scrub against his own will, purposely causing a time loop, he knew that because it was him this world had a chance.

And defeating Odolwa proved it.

"Now we just need to release the other three and we can get that mask off of Skull Kid." Jaune said with determination in his eyes.

"After you train a bit more, we don't know what could be waiting for us and if Odolwa of all things was one of them." Tatl looked nervous with Jaune swallowing a bit.

R-Right… He needed to get stronger and he had a new weapon to train with.

They had all the time in the world to get better, he'll probably take longer than a month to train up his skills-.

"H-Hello?" A new voice made both Jaune and Tatl spin around to see a hollowed tree log with thick, heavy vines covering the entrance like bars.

Tilting his head to the side, Jaune sliced through them with his sword to see a Deku Scrub trapped there. He guessed this was the Princess since it was a young female Deku Scrub with ornate makeup on her face.

"Whaa? W-Who are you?" The Deku Princess asked in surprise while Jaune sheathed his sword.

Remembering this was a princess, Jaune hurriedly bowed. "The name's Jaune Arc your highness." He said politely.

"Jaune? Pleased to meet you. I am the Deku Princess!" She returned the bow, taking note of his injuries. "Were you by chance asked by that monkey to come save me?"

Jaune chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah he was real worried about you." He said worried about how the monkey was doing given how earlier that morning he was tied up.

"I thought so, I can smell Monkey on you." The Deku Princess revealed with Jaune blinking as he sniffed his arm to see if he smelled different. "Oh don't worry you don't stink, us Deku's have a strong sense of smell."

' _Wait then why didn't I have one as a Deku?_ ' Jaune thought to himself before deciding not to think on it right now.

"Still he made it back fine after all, that's good." The Deku Princess walked past Jaune, happy to be out of her cell. "I was worried that if I didn't come home that father would think that monkey kidnapped me! I was even worried that he would go as far as to punish the monkey."

She chuckled only to realize that Jaune didn't answer and she turned back to see him looking nervous, dread now filling her.

"Don't tell me." She said with a pleading tone only for Jaune to nod. "Are you serious?! We need to get back now!"

…

Making it outside, Jaune was amazed by how different the area looked.

The poisoned water was now clear with the monsters gone… He just cleansed the whole swamp of poison by killing Odolwa.

"It's four in the afternoon, we were in there for a few hours." Tatl mused with Jaune nodding, pulling out his Ocarina. "You might want to stick close your Highness, we'll be at the Palace in a split second."

"What are you-?" The Princess was cut off as Jaune played the Song of Soaring and moments later they were in front of the Owl Statue by the Palace. "A-Amazing."

Jaune went red at that feeling a bit embarrassed before they ran towards the Palace with him not even pulling the mask out so the Guards went to stop him only to see the dark, angry look on the Deku Princess face scaring them enough to allow Jaune to get in.

Making it to the Royal Chamber Jaune, Tatl and the Princess were rather horrified as the Monkey was being held upside down over a pot of boiling water showing that they were planning to boil him alive as punishment.

"Halt, who are you?!" The King demanded at seeing Jaune only to see his daughter standing next to him who was shaking in anger. "Oh, my Princess! My darling Princess! Are you alright? I was so worried-is this Terminan the one who kidnapped you?!"

Jaune paled at seeing this go out of hand as the Princess slowly approached the King. "F-Foolish Father." She said her tone scaring just about everyone before she flat out tackled the king and began to jump up and down on his chest.

Jaune and Tatl stared, not sure what to say about this as the guards slowly approached the Princess and the King, unsure of what to do. Should anyone attack the King they were supposed to protect him but the attacker was the Princess-who was now glaring at them.

"What are you waiting for?! Release that poor Monkey this instant!"

Not wanting to risk her wrath, the Guards obeyed with no hesitation as the Monkey was happy to be untied and standing up once again with the Princess next to him looking the guy over for any serious injuries.

"Oh, Mr. Monkey I am truly sorry," The Princess said sadly to him. "My father does rash things when he's worried about me."

"I understand, Princess!" The Monkey said with a friendly smile before looking worried. "Forget about that. Has the temple returned to normal?"

The Deku Princess gave a nod and turned towards Jaune who looked a bit awkward, leading for the Monkey to look his way, recognition in his eyes. "Why yes, thanks to Mr. Arc here. I am truly grateful."

"Those clothes." The Monkey muttered as Jaune smiled.

"Yeah I have an ability to turn into a Deku Scrub." Jaune revealed stunning him and the Princess. "It's certainly saved my life in that temple."

"That ability aside I owe you Mr. Arc," The Monkey said nodding his head. "Thank you for keeping your promise to me."

"It's no problem but call me Jaune, Mr. Arc makes me feel old." Jaune said earning a chuckle from the Monkey.

"Alright Jaune."

The Princess took a step forward. "As a symbol of our gratitude, our Butler has prepared a little something for you. Please accept it." She said gaining Jaune's attention. "It's to the left of the Palace, but it's to the right when you exit it."

"Across the water?" Jaune asked with the Princess nodding. "Got it."

"Do you wish for us to look at your injuries?" The Princess offered but she was surprised when Jaune shook his head.

"Nah I have a way to heal them." Jaune said given how he was going to stop by the Fairy Fountain before looking for the Deku Butler.

 _ **~Night of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-Thirty-Six Hours Remain-**_

Jaune sighed as he finally found the cave leading to the Great Fairy Fountain after searching the area around the temple, so he ran into the water, feeling his injuries heal as the fifteen fairies shot out of the mask in his gear bag and flew around combining with the others before the Great Fairy of Woodfall made an appearance.

She looked just like the one from Clock Town, the only difference being however that she had emerald green hair as she smiled down at Jaune who quickly bowed along with Tatl.

"Oh young one I am the Great Fairy of Wisdom," The Great Fairy introduced herself. "Thank you for returning my broken and shattered body to normal."

"I-It's no trouble at all." Jaune said keeping his head bowed. "Um… Thanks for healing my injuries."

"Considering what you've done it's a given to heal you." Wisdom said to him with Jaune finally looking up to see the smile on her face. "As thanks I shall enhance your magic power."

Holding out her hands, Jaune felt a surge of energy rushing through him as she basically extended his magic reserves making it more powerful, Jaune's eyes were glowing for a split second before the energy disappeared.

"Any use of your magic will be even more potent, however you need to learn to full control it to use it to its full potential," Wisdom warned as being given twice as much as he had would lead to issues if not practiced enough. "Seek the Great Fairy of Clock Town should you need help."

"Thank you." Jaune said bowing once more as she disappeared before he held his hand as a green glow came across it.

… Yeah he'll definitely be looking into how to control this.

"Okay we should see what the Deku Butler wants with us." Tatl suggested with Jaune giving a nod with them leaving the fountain. "The Princess said that it was to the left of the Palace?"

"Yeah, this should be interesting."

…

Jaune whistled as he made his way into the Deku Shrine after swimming across the lake not having to worry about the poison anymore when the Deku Butler bowed towards him out of respect, that action surprising Jaune.

"The Savior of Woodfall Swamp, I am truly thankful for everything you've done for our Princess," The Butler said looking at him with gratitude. "Though if I may, can I see your Deku Form?"

It seemed he was listening in when Jaune said that, so he obliged by taking the mask out with the Butler gaining a sad look at seeing the mask, the face of it looking very familiar.

As Jaune changed, the Butler gave a nod. "Just as I thought." He whispered confusing Jaune but he continued before the blonde could ask. "As promised we have prepared something to assist you, please follow me."

Much to Jaune's surprise the Butler pulled out an Umbrella and began to fly down the corridor before he snapped out of it and took off after the Butler, not even thinking of taking the mask off as he found he could keep up pretty well, especially when he adds a spin to his running as a Scrub.

The Butler seemed to notice that and a feeling of nostalgia began to wash over him as he began to increase his speed, wanting to see if Jaune could keep up.

Jaune noticed and while he was confused he couldn't help but feel a pang of competitiveness go through him as he began to try harder to keep up, barely restraining from letting out a childish laugh with them going from room to room.

Some of the rooms had small obstacles that Jaune had to go through but eventually they made it to the end with both Jaune and the Butler panting. It seemed that flying took a lot of energy from the Butler.

"Well done Jaune," The Butler said smiling at Jaune only to tense as Jaune looked at him in a certain way that nearly made him break down. "H-Here is the item as promised, please accept it."

Jaune tilted his head as he held a pig mask. "Vhat is dis?" He asked with the Butler seeing that Jaune was still learning to speak as a Deku.

"That is the Mask of Scents, when it's worn it'll increase your sense of smell. When Deku's grow up they gain a heightened sense of smell, but as children that has yet to appear… This mask belonged to my son and I think he would like you to have it." The Butler explained before turning away from Jaune's curious gaze. "You remind me of him you know."

"I do?"

"He left home long ago and when I led you here I couldn't help but think I was racing my son." The Butler said with Jaune going quiet. "I may have tried too hard to outrun you despite my old age."

Hesitantly he reached over and ruffled Jaune's hair with Jaune feeling a sense of nostalgia.

"Jaune… Take care." The Deku Butler said with a sad smile.

…

Jaune sighed as he was back in the Palace, looking at everyone sadly.

They were so happy. So carefree.

They were saved, the swamp back to normal. Their Princess rescued.

Yet he had to undo it all, otherwise the moon will fall.

"It never gets easy." Tatl spoke up, knowing what Jaune was thinking with him nodding.

"Yeah, I know." He whispered, closing his eyes to say goodbye before he played the Song of Time, some of the guards looking his way, wondering what he was doing before he was gone.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

 _ **Man this was a hell of a chapter to type right here and I definitely kept my promise to get it out sooner than the last one. It was more of an action one compared to the others where Jaune took on two mid bosses and then Odolwa himself, the last one damn near killed him.**_

 _ **But he defeated Odolwa, saved the Deku Princess, purified the Southern Swamp, got his magic enhanced, gained the Hero's Bow and received the Mask of Scents bringing the number of masks up to six so he has a quarter of the masks already.**_

 _ **Not bad right?**_

 _ **He's already a quarter of the way done with getting ready to defeat Skull Kid, but the fight with Odolwa did show that he had a very long way to go. Oh and I know that you can get a bottle after purifying the swamp, but I think at this stage Jaune would have no chance with how little experience he has with the Bow so it'll come much later.**_

 _ **So enough about that, let's get to the Reviews!**_

 _ **DarkBlur2005: Yes he will get the Fierce Deity Mask, but there will be some limitations to him using it to avoid it being OP, I won't be lessening the power of it, just wait and see.**_

 _ **Thehappyvampire: Haha yeah when it does get out there will be quite the conversation between Ozpin and Jaune should he hear. I want to try and keep Jaune the same way he was in canon, only more mature given what he had to go through, but perhaps some damage because I'm pretty sure he'll have nightmares about this adventure when it's over considering what he's faced and will be facing.**_

 _ **Rmarcano321: Thank you and I hope you continue to enjoy this.**_

 _ **Zeldawolffang: So am I, I had trouble typing the temple at first given I was trying to decide what to do.**_

 _ **Percy morgesten: I'm not so sure about Tatl or Tael joining Jaune in Remnant, especially given how after everything Skull Kid goes through he'll need them more than ever once it's over and done with. I'm still deciding on if I want to have Jaune be able to go between Remnant and Termina with the Song of Soaring. Oh man Ruby would be excited and amazed at the thought of seeing real fairies.**_

 _ **Diddleysquat: Thanks and I haven't decided yet, it could be years before he goes back considering he needs to train his skills up. Link already had the skills to fight Majoras and has already defeated Ganon so he has the experience, Jaune on the other hand had little to no skill with his weapons along with no experience so it would take him much longer.**_

 _ **ThatOneRandomDude: Jaune and Midna would make an interesting pairing if I do go down the TP route, but I'm kind of curious to hear how the Jaune and Tatl one would work because that's a unique one-I'm making no promises about it but how do you think it would work and what changed your mind from Midna to Tatl?**_

 _ **Zathol: Yeah, Jaune is definitely learning a lot of useful skills and he will gain even more during his adventures in Termina. While the whole go back in time and keep everything you have along with skills sounds great it does come at a cost of everyone forgetting about you, which bums Jaune out along with how it undoes everything he did for them. I might actually have the Mirror Shield be the OOT one rather than the MM one, haven't decided. The Hero's Bow, Lens of Truth, every weapon that Jaune finds will help immensely whenever he gets back to Remnant. Pft, haha Ruby getting drunk on Romani Chateau Milk is now running through my head, I can't get that image out. Yeah as useful as the Bunny Hood is, I'm not sure if it would be taken as racist or not by the Faunus. No hearts because I have no way to really explain their existence outside of video games. You're talking about 'Unknown Legends by KTWizard' right? Funny thing is those One Rupee Sword Lessons were only beginner ones, the other ones will be more expensive. Huh good point on the Wolfo's being stronger than Beowolfs, never thought about that. Now that I think about it plenty of LOZ monsters are pretty strong compared to the creatures of Grimm, especially the bosses. He'll definitely be able to handle a horde of Wolfo's by himself in the future. Yeah now he has experience of going through a temple and the Hero's Bow-I hope you enjoyed his first attempt at using it, I will be showing him training with it in the next chapter. Yes he'll get Epona, or rather the Terminan version of Epona who will be in the same place but for a different reason. Jaune is already a tank with how large his aura is, but instead of adding hearts how about we add his magic? I hope you enjoyed the first boss, that one was a lot of fun to type.**_


	7. Training Cycles

_**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Legend of Zelda so please no suing!**_

 _ **Summary: Jaune was off on his way to Vale to enter Beacon and start his journey to become a Huntsmen, however on his way he was robbed of a family heirloom and ended up chasing the thief to a world known as Termina. Now stuck in a cycle of repeating three days, will he end up saving the world or will all of Termina die? … He should've stayed home.**_

 _ **Chapter 07: Training Cycles**_

 _ **~Dawn of the First Day~**_

 _ **-Seventy-Two Hours Remain-**_

Jaune hummed to himself as he sat on a bench near the Stock Pot Inn, reading one of the many books he managed to borrow from a local Library.

He already skimmed through a few ones about some of the monsters he already fought, along with the tourist spots of Termina… Hey he wanted to at least enjoy himself a little in Termina.

All of this rewinding time, he needs to take a break every now and then, but that was for the future-er future present?

Whatever the correct term for this was.

There wasn't anything on controlling magic though, so Jaune knew that he would have to talk to the Great Fairy if he wanted to progress with that and Jaune felt confident in his sword skills to try and get a higher lesson from the Swordsman. Though talking to him was going to be… Difficult considering how the guy won't remember him.

But the book he was reading right now was Archery… For Dummies.

This was something he really needed to learn, especially if he wanted to make the best of everything he has. There was even a book on the biology of Deku Scrubs, in case there was something he missed about being a Deku.

So this cycle was going to be nothing but a studying one while he recuperated from that mess in Woodfall. His injuries might be healed, but he could still vividly remember the pain of his arm breaking.

"We should set up some targets to practice with outside of town." Tatl voiced, helping Jaune bit by bit as she was in his hair looking at the book. "Maybe do a few cycles practicing with that before going after some monsters."

"That way I can actually hit a target without taking a few tries before we get into another fight?" Jaune asked with Tatl answering with a ring. "Makes sense, though it's definitely going to be frustrating."

"Just be sure to keep up with your sword skills, we can't let them rust while you work on Archery."

Jaune gave a nod, agreeing with that.

Perhaps a day of archery followed by a day of swordsmanship before resting on the final day and then reset before doing the same thing? He can't forget to work on his Deku Scrub either.

He'll need to work on a schedule to keep up with what he has and can do.

"Should I learn to make potions?" Jaune found himself asking after a few minutes of silence, his question catching Tatl by surprise.

"You mean like the one you used while I was distracting Odolwa?" Jaune gave a nod, confirming Tatl's question. "They don't make those where you come from so it would be a good idea in case you ever needed it."

"And I'd rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it."

Tatl agreed with that line of thinking.

Everything they found or did turned out to be pretty useful so they were going to go with the mindset to keep whatever they find or use on them at all times in case they ever need it.

 _ **~Dawn of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-Forty-Eight Hours Remain-**_

Jaune fidgeted as the Great Fairy floated over him after he grabbed the stray fairy once more, with her pondering on his question.

"You wish to have a detailed explanation on how your magic works?" The Great Fairy asked crossing her arms with Jaune giving a nod. "Hm I suppose it would be better if you knew how to properly use it, I apologize for not being more clear when you received it."

"It's fine, a lot was happening." Jaune said rubbing the back of his head.

The Great Fairy gave a nod, a smile going across her face. "But I can sense that your reserves are filled with twice as much magic that I gave you," She said seeing what happened. "You released one of the four and helped one of my sisters."

"It wasn't easy." Jaune said idly rubbing his left arm before looking serious. "But that's why I need to master everything I have and I don't know anything about magic."

"And you can't control it." The Great Fairy's smile disappeared as she could see a problem. "I'd hoped that you would be able to have a lot of control before you helped my sister but you've barely tapped into it."

"How bad is this?" Tatl asked, seeing the change of expression.

"Magic while helpful in your quest is very dangerous and when granted by a Great Fairy can build up even when you don't use it," The Great Fairy explained showing a reason behind how Jaune's magic does seem to last when he does tap into it. "Should you not use it regularly it will build up until you can't contain it anymore which was why I gave you a small amount to start off with."

Jaune had a sudden image of his magic destroying his body with limbs shooting off should he not learn it and paled.

"Oh it's nothing like that," The Great Fairy said guessing what he was thinking from his face. "But it's dangerous to those around you as the build up will escape and harm them."

Holding her hand out, the Great Fairy seemed to be judging how much built up before smiling.

"If you waited another two weeks you would've had your first mishap." She revealed before gesturing to Jaune to sit down. "You've instinctively used magic but you've never actually focused while you were human have you?"

Jaune went to deny that but it died down after hearing that last part.

Right, whenever he used magic with his swordsmanship it was on instinct rather than actually using it… Was it because of the build-up from his month of training?

"Then why could I focus it easily as a Deku Scrub?"

"It's because while you are nearly an adult your Deku Scrub form is that of a child and they have an easier time developing magic," The Great Fairy explained to him. "That's why most magic users are trained at a younger age to prevent problems when they grow up. Luckily you have the form to learn how to properly wield it and you should be able to extend the control to your Human Form with practice."

Jaune looked lost in thought as he glanced down at his hand, wondering just what full control over the magic he had would look like. He already knew that he never scratched the surface of what it was capable of long before he entered the temple.

"Hey er, what type of spells would I be able to use once I master this?" Jaune couldn't help but ask, remembering the adventure stories, video games or comics he read that depicted magic.

The Great Fairy gave a laugh. "It takes years to actually master the use of magic, spells take even longer." She said with Jaune now looking a little crushed.

Years, he didn't have years.

"Unless they're handed out by Great Fairies." Just like that he was giving her a confused look. "Only one of my sisters has the power to do that in Termina, if you want the other spells you would either have to train or find the Great Fairies in your world."

Jaune froze not expecting that.

"T-They exist in Remnant?" Jaune asked shocked by that.

He didn't question how the Great Fairy even knew about Remnant considering she knew about him time travelling but to hear that entities like the Great Fairies actually existed there was a surprise.

"Yes, long before the land was called Remnant, when it was known as Hyrule," The Great Fairy explained, further drawing Jaune's interest. "I would explain more but we can't afford to be distracted at the moment."

Jaune gave a nod despite wanting to know.

But he made a mental note to try and find the Great Fairies in Remnant to see what else he could learn though that's if he survives this journey.

He did have a question though.

"So how did I end up in Termina?" Jaune looked at the Great Fairy who tilted her head as she floated around him.

"Yeah I'm curious about that too considering he ended up in the woods leading to Termina." Tatl inputted, being quiet throughout the whole exchange.

"The woods-I see," The Great Fairy cupped her chin in thought. "You entered through the Lost Woods, it's the only portal from Hyrule-sorry Remnant into Termina these days."

"The Lost Woods?" Jaune whispered now remembering how he was confused with the woods being different.

"Yes a very dangerous place to be, should one get lost in the Lost Woods the magic of that place would slowly drain your life leaving you nothing but a husk of what you were, a Stalfos if you will or considering your age a Skull Kid."

As she said that she held out her hand to make an image of what a Stalfos was appear with Jaune going pale.

H-He almost died in those Lost Woods?! Wait he almost became 'a' Skull Kid?! He always thought that was his name not species.

"Yet you lived long enough to run into the Masked Imp," The Great Fairy gave Jaune a critical look. "Do you by any chance know The song of the forest?"

"Song of the forest?" Jaune asked not understanding.

Expecting that, the Great Fairy put two fingers in her mouth and began to whistle a very familiar tune despite how different it sounded.

Jaune gave a start before nodding enthusiastically. "That's Saria's Song! I was playing that to calm myself down because I didn't want to attract any Grimm."

"Saria? One of the former sages of the Forest Temple. You inadvertently saved your own life because that song opens up paths through the Lost Woods and kept the dark magic at bay." The Great Fairy revealed, flooring Jaune with how that could've ended. "Yet something pulled you into the Lost Woods… Something is testing you."

"A-A test?" Jaune whispered wishing he knew exactly what was going on.

The Great Fairy kept quiet before changing the subject, deciding to let Jaune come to terms with that on his own. "Now back to you mastering your magic do you remember how it felt when you used it?"

Jaune slowly gave a nod.

At first it was like an itch, but after using it a bit more he felt a flow to it, but only as a Scrub, when he was Human it felt completely different, with energy flowing through his arm into his sword rather than his whole body.

"Think of that feeling and cultivate it, make it flow through your whole body until it becomes second nature, then we will go to the next step." The Great Fairy instructed the blonde swordsman. "Be warned that this will take more than one cycle, once you reset I want you to practice this along with your other skills that you're working on."

* * *

Two Cycles later, Jaune was outside of Clock Town as he held the Hero's Bow in his hand.

He spent the last two cycles working on magic control, while he wasn't anywhere close to being done with it all, he wanted to start on Archery Practice.

Currently he was facing a tree that had some red paint on it for a makeshift target, the paint actually being jelly from a Red Chuchu.

Tatl was currently in Clock Town, wanting to take care of a few things, Jaune didn't ask but he will admit it felt weird to not have her around after the two of them being around each other for a good month.

Still he had to keep practicing.

Taking a deep breath, Jaune pulled an arrow from his quiver and notched it, now knowing that the butt end of the arrow actually notches onto the bow string, holding it down with his thumb, index and middle finger. The index finger being above the notch while the thumb and middle finger was below it.

Doing this made pulling the string back much easier, especially because he was using his back muscles to draw it back instead of just pulling with his arms like how he did in the temple.

It even made keeping it still easier allowing for him to aim.

Though there was still a few trembles due to him not being used to this along with him needing to practice but he finally let go and the arrow hit the tree with quite the loud … A few inches above where the target began.

While initially disappointed, Jaune couldn't keep the grin off his face considering how easy the bow responded to him this time.

So Jaune pulled out another arrow, ready to rinse and repeat until he could at least hit one bulls-eye.

 _ **~Night of the First Day~**_

 _ **-Sixty Hours Remain-**_

Jaune groaned while laying out in the field, broken arrows all around him.

He hasn't hit a single bulls-eye, though he did get pretty close a few times showing that he was getting it down. And he was out of arrows as a lot of them kept breaking when he tried to retrieve them.

"You do know that laying out here will make you easy pickings for a Wolfos right?" Tatl's voice made him chuckle.

"I'm not that out of it." Jaune promised given how he was keeping an eye on his surroundings while resting before he blinked. "So did you take care of what you were doing?"

Tatl paused for a few seconds before flying down to where she was actually sitting on one of the broken arrow shafts. "I went to the clock tower," She revealed earning a very concerned look from Jaune who clearly wasn't expecting that. "Skull Kid didn't see me or if he did he didn't care."

"So he didn't try anything?" Jaune asked glancing towards the Clock Tower where he was certain Skull Kid was. "Why?"

"I don't think he remembers the other cycles so he's probably certain that we can't win no matter what we do." Tatl reasoned with Jaune agreeing with that theory given how everything was.

"He's not exactly wrong," Jaune sighed as he said that before brightening up. "But when we do go to end this that train of thought will let us surprise him."

Tatl didn't answer that. "I saw Tael there." She managed to get out. "He's alive."

As if a switch was flipped, Jaune saw Tatl shivering and it took him a moment to realize that she was beginning to cry.

"I didn't-I." Tatl could barely get anything else out as Jaune was unsure of what to do before he came to a conclusion.

Tatl was surprised when Jaune gently picked her up with his hands and gave a light hug.

"Jaune," Tatl managed to get out after a few seconds, sniffling. "What are you doing?"

"I can't be there for a friend?" Jaune asked clearly remembering when Tatl did something like this the time he nearly broke down after killing the Skulltula.

Looking back at it knowing about how the Deku Form had its own personality, Jaune was a little embarrassed by how childish he acted like that but Tatl was there for him when he needed it so he wanted to be there for her.

Tatl eventually flew herself out of his hug, coughing to hide some embarrassment for breaking down like that. "Right, so what's next for you to work on?"

Chuckling a bit at her way of changing the conversation, Jaune indulged her by answering. "I'm going to keep working on my archery, but when we do restart the cycle I'm going to try and get more advanced classes from the Swordsman." He said his voice cracking a bit showing that he wasn't looking forward to that given how the man would think he was a stranger.

"Good thing we know where to find some silver rupees." Tatl commented given how Jaune had to buy some more arrows until he learns how to make them. "Let's get back to town to rest though."

Jaune gave a nod, standing up to wipe dirt off his clothes.

On the way back however, Jaune frowned in thought.

Tatl's mention of Skull Kid not remembering the other timelines had him confused. If the Great Fairies who Skull Kid clearly overpowered and destroyed could remember them then he should be able to.

Yet it was clear that he didn't.

Why was that?

"Hey Jaune," Tatl's voice made Jaune turn to the Fairy who hovered in place for a second. "Thanks."

Knowing what she was talking about, Jaune just smiled. "It's no problem."

 _ **~Dawn of the Third Day~**_

 _ **-Twenty-Four Hours Remain-**_

Jaune held his sword as he focused, trying to have his Magic go into the sword by choice rather than instinct.

His Archery left much to be desired after the second day so he switched gears to try and work on his magic but he was getting nowhere.

A faint glow finally began to envelop the blade after two minutes of focus before dying out making Jaune grimace as it was a lot brighter than he intended showing that he was probably focusing too much.

At times it was too little with it not working at all but too much and it's only a spark.

There had to be a balance for him to use.

"You do remember that you can focus more easily as a Deku Scrub right?" Tatl asked seeing Jaune's frustration.

"I know, but I need to make progress as a Human." Jaune answered a bit bitterly, not at Tatl but at his lack of progress.

Especially when he already did practice as a Scrub, but he can't seem to make it work like this. If he can't master this then what good could he be against Skull Kid?

' _Stop thinking like that._ ' Jaune scolded himself, glad that he didn't say that out loud.

Self-Doubt is a weakness he can't afford to show.

Closing his eyes, Jaune focused, trying to will the magic into the blade to find a balance to help make his strikes stronger than ever. To try and learn how to actually manage his magic to avoid any mishaps in the future.

As he focused however he didn't seem to notice how his blade was beginning to glow, energy swirling around it before it extended about four feet much to Tatl's shock.

Before she could voice what she was seeing however it dissipated, not even lasting for a single second while Jaune fell to his knees, pure exhaustion on his now pale face as he tried to catch his breath.

Flying closer, Tatl saw the problem. "You idiot, you used up every bit of magic that you had doing that!" She yelled showing this problem to be magical exhaustion.

"I-Is that bad?" Jaune asked not getting why she was yelling.

Surely given enough time his magic would refill given the nature of it.

"Doing that leaves you vulnerable, you can barely move right now!" Tatl shouted surprising Jaune who found out she was right.

He couldn't stand up or lift his arms from how exhausted he was.

He used up all of his magic in a single second? He really needed to work on his control.

Thankfully after being like this for a few minutes he was finally able to move, but he still felt exhausted.

"Okay so don't do that when I'm surrounded by monsters," Jaune simply stated with Tatl giving him a look for pointing out the obvious. "Hey at least I know that now."

Tatl went to say something only for the sound of horses to cut in causing the two to look and see a few carriages exiting Clock Town, heading in the direction of a location that seemed to be between the Swamp where Woodfall Temple laid and the Ocean where another one of the Giants were.

"I wonder where they go to try and escape the moon?" Jaune asked sadly knowing that it didn't matter where they would go if it were to fall.

"I think they head towards Romani Ranch, it's where the Milk Bar usually gets its milk from." Tatl commented with Jaune wondering about the Ranch.

So he began to follow the evacuee's.

…

It didn't take long for them to reach Romani Ranch, past a pretty convenient Owl Statue where he could see a huge open field with a house, a barn and a few shacks.

The horse carriages were coming to a stop at the farm while Jaune began to look around curiously seeing a dog chasing a few chickens that made him chuckle.

It was oddly peaceful around here if one were to ignore the spontaneous earthquakes that happens on the third day.

"Wait… Where are the cows?" Tatl couldn't help but ask as she has seen this place before. "There should be at least dozens of them around the field."

"Maybe they're inside given the moon being around?" Jaune pointed out with Tatl not finding much fault with that logic before they came across a weird sight.

It was a twelve year old girl with shoulder length orange hair, wearing a knee-long white dress sitting on a box staring blankly ahead with what seemed to be dead blue eyes.

Jaune really got concerned when this girl began to shake violently as she grabbed her head as if in pain.

"Hey are you alright?" He called out to the girl.

At first it seemed like she didn't hear him but then she gave him a blank look that showed no expression except for confusion mixed with pain. "W-What? Who are you?" She muttered before she was back to shaking her head.

"Jaune I don't think we can help this girl." Tatl said softly seeing how this was affecting him a little.

To see a kid like that really made him want to help.

Maybe he could come back on an earlier day-... But then he would have to erase helping her.

Seeing her shake in pain again, Jaune narrowed his eyes.

He'll try to help her in one of the cycles, at least then there would be one where she wouldn't be in pain.

Still he left her alone and explored the ranch a bit more, making it to a shack that had chickens painted on the front.

Feeling curious, Jaune entered to see quite a few baby chickens along with a single shirtless man who was leaning against a tree wearing nothing but a pair of pants, his mohawk drooping.

This man looked up to see Jaune and sighed. "Welcome to the Cucco Shack," He greeted in a tired tone. "Not that it matters, did you hear about the moon falling?"

Jaune grimaced as he gave a nod. "Yeah, scary isn't it?"

"I was told that people from Clock Town ran away here as well, like that matters if it falls so why run?" The man asked his voice turning somber to show his acceptance of death. "No one can outrun it."

Man this was doing nothing but depressing Jaune but before he could say anything else, one of the baby chi-... Cucco's jumped up on the man's leg causing for him to smile, something that looked a little out of place.

"My only regret is that I won't be able to see these guys grow up into Roosters," He voiced showing a fond look. "They're old enough but they need a boost of magic."

"Any chance I can help?" Jaune asked thinking he could at least help this guy out before restarting the cycle. "I can use magic."

The man glanced up, inspecting Jaune's face. "You have a spell to command animals?" He asked seeing Jaune's face fall making the guy sigh. "It's fine I wasn't getting my hopes up anyways."

Now he really felt ba-... Command Animals.

Just like that Jaune remembered the mask that guy with the music box gave him.

Reaching into his gear bag he pulled out the Bremen Mask.

"Jaune?" Tatl asked not sure what he was thinking before the teen placed the Bremen Mask on his face.

It wasn't like the transformation masks, but a solution ran through Jaune's mind the moment he put on the mask, a grin on his face as he pulled out his Ocarina, twirling it like one of those Ringleader of a Circus.

Raising it to his lips as his legs began to march, Jaune began to play a tune that ran through his head making the guy glance up at him in confusion along with Tatl being concerned by how the blonde was acting.

Especially when he began to march around the room, slowly the baby chickens began to march after him once he passed them showing that something was going on.

After around ten of them began to follow him they began to one by one turn into fully grown Cucco's with a puff of smoke stunning the guy who began to smile as before long all of them were grown up.

"How did you-?" Tatl had no words for what she just witnessed as Jaune pulled the Bremen Mask off.

"I-... I don't know, when I put this on it felt natural to do that." Jaune answered looking at the mask unable to believe that actually worked.

Slowly the guy stood up, a smile on his face as he approached Jaune. "I don't really get how you did it, but seeing these fellas with a crest and all, I don't have any regrets," He said looking very happy. "You came through with your offer to help… Here."

Jaune was surprised when the man handed him a yellow bunny hood-like mask making him a little uncomfortable.

Would wearing this particular mask be considered racist to the Faunus back in Remnant?

"That mask always helped me out in my youth, I hope it helps you out wherever you go." The man stood up and left before pausing. "What's your name?"

"Uh Jaune Arc." Jaune answered in an unsure tone.

"Jaune huh? I'll remember it, you can call me Grog."

Seeing Grog exit, Jaune looked down at the bunny hood before shrugging as he put it on.

It's not considered racist in Termina so he shouldn't worry and he was curious to see what this one would do.

At first nothing happened before instinct took over and Jaune began to run towards the door, kicking up dust and becoming a blur barely skidding to a stop right at the door.

D-Did he just-?

"Wow so this Bunny Hood increases your speed?" Tatl sounded impressed by that. "This will really help out."

Jaune agreed because if he could use this to get around Termina while looking for the last three temples he will really be saving a lot of time.

Taking the Bunny Hood off, Jaune got the Ocarina out once more to restart the Cycle.

…

"Thirty Rupees?!" Jaune balked as he was back in the Swordsman School ready to take the next class after proving he mastered the basics, some sliced logs behind him. "I thought the price was One Rupee."

The Swordsman looked at him like he was an idiot. "For learning the basics and to give people a chance to survive," He elaborated to the blonde. "For more advanced techniques you pay more money!"

As he explained that, the Swordsman felt a sense of Deja-Vu as he looked at Jaune.

"Hold on have we met somewhere before?"

Jaune stilled at that but he shook his head, not sure how to really answer that.

The Swordsman quirked a brow at the answer but shrugged it off, especially when Jaune pulled out the amount of rupees to pay as the Swordsman gave a nod. "Alright I'll show you two techniques that I want you to master and we'll do some sparring to see how far you are."

With that said, the Swordsman tossed Jaune a wooden sword much to his confusion. "But I already have a sword-."

"I'm not risking you stabbing me with one of the techniques you'll need to practice on." The Swordsman deadpanned given the nature of the attack.

With that he rushed at Jaune who barely threw up his shield to block only for the Swordsman to knock it out of his hands and kick his feet out from underneath him.

"No Shield, just the wooden sword." The Swordsman said sharply to Jaune who gave a nod before the man jumped off, allowing for Jaune to shakily stand up, gripping the wooden sword right as the Swordsman lunged again.

This time Jaune blocked but he could only block from the onslaught of the Swordsman who wasn't going easy on him in this spar.

Tatl was in the rafters, being quiet as she watched the spar with some interest seeing how the two of them were fighting as she made a note about Jaune who was struggling.

It seemed that he was too used to having a shield on him to compensate for his lack of skills before he was on his back and his eyes widen as the Swordsman jumped and landed on top of Jaune, the wooden sword pointing right at his chest.

"This is a skill called the Ending Blow, a lot of enemies will recover quickly if they're stunned, but if you're quick and swift you can use this to end them before that happens." The Swordsman said before jumping off of Jaune. "Now come at me, I won't do anything but defend."

Back on his feet, Jaune frowned as he lunged, his strikes being blocked easily by the Swordsman as he kept going the two of them stepping around the room with each blow.

Overhead. Side. Backhand. Thrust. Spin.

Every blow was stopped.

This guy was a lot more skilled then he showed before and this was showing Jaune just how lucky he was to survive Odolwa. Or perhaps it was because Odolwa never really blocked that much considering how he was always on the offensive in their fight?

Finally Jaune managed to pierce through his defense, his magic acting up around the blade enough for him to knock the Swordsman off his feet and he didn't even wait for the guy to land on his back as Jaune was already in the air doing the Ending Blow.

But the Swordsman used the momentum to roll out of the way right as Jaune landed where he was, kicking his feet out from underneath him.

"Well done." The Swordsman said with the wooden sword pointed right at Jaune's jugular. "You are very skilled with a blade."

"I didn't even hit you with that." Jaune complained only to yelp as the man 'lightly' tapped his skull with the wooden blade.

"I've been doing this for years, I would've been amazed if you did." The Swordsman deadpanned as Jaune rubbed his head. "I want you to practice that skill until you master it and work with your swordsmanship, you're good but you have a long way to go."

After that little spiel he helped Jaune up to his feet, the Swordsman frowning as this really felt familiar, but he ignored it when Jaune spoke. "So what's this second skill?"

"This next one requires your shield." The Swordsman said allowing for Jaune to pick his up while he moved to grab a wooden shield. "For now just block while I show you how it's done."

Jaune hesitated before doing so, barely tensing up his muscles as he blocked when the swordsman forcefully slammed his shield into Jaune's causing him to take a step back, momentarily off balance before he was knocked back by the sword, landing on his back ready for the Ending Blow.

But the Swordsman allowed for Jaune to stand back up with a patient look. "No matter how tempered a blade is it does nothing against a foe with a shield or armor unless you're a true master of the blade," The Swordsman explained to a stunned Jaune. "By slamming your shield into your foe with enough force with the Shield Attack you can make an opening to knock them off their feet to combine with the Ending Blow, now you try it."

With a nod, Jaune tightly gripped his shield, circling around the Swordsman before doing so, the metal shield was easily superior to the wooden shield in this instance with him doing the attacking as he knocked the Swordsman off balance before hitting him with the sword, making him take a step back.

But he knew that if the Swordsman chose to he would've countered that easily.

"Well done, you're definitely picking up on these two skills pretty fast," The Swordsman said feeling proud of this student. "With enough practice the Shield Attack will be able to deflect projectiles such as magic or arrows to launch back at the enemy."

Okay that impressed Jaune as he could imagine doing that and smiled, wanting to learn more techniques, but he knew that for this cycle this would be all he would learn, especially when the man told Jaune to go out and master those skills before he would learn more.

So he placed the wooden sword back while putting his shield up before he gave a bow of respect, reading that in a book while he was resting. "Thank you." He said gratefully to a man who was practically his mentor. "For everything."

That last part just confused the Swordsman as Jaune left.

* * *

"Hyah!" Jaune grunted a few cycles later as he was back in Woodfall, fighting a pack of Wolfos.

He had a few cuts on him showing that they got some good hits in, but he already took down three of them at the same time.

Not wasting any time as one of the Wolfos lunged at him, Jaune slammed his shield into it knocking it off its feet before attempting the Ending Blow, killing it as the sword pierced its chest, doing a backflip to jump over another Wolfos that tried to attack him from behind.

Doing a roll as he put his sword up, Jaune had the Hero's Bow out and shot an arrow piercing its head before it could even turn.

This was proof that his training was actually doing something, though he only made that shot with how close the Wolfos was, if it was at a greater distance he wouldn't have been able to hit it.

Hearing rapid movement as Tatl gave a warning, Jaune quickly pulled his shield out to block it, switching the bow out for his sword as he did a spin attack with magic added to the mix, killing the last three Wolfos.

Eight Wolfos… He just took eight down by himself-er with help from Tatl warning him when he was about to be blindsided, but it was much better than last time he faced one while running from the rest of the pack.

With a smile, Jaune sheathed the blade. "So how well do you think I would do against Odolwa now?" He asked a little cockily with Tatl turning to give him a look that was the equivalent of rolling her eyes.

"I'd rather we not test that out." She deadpanned as they had a theory that Odolwa was back in the temple after they restarted the cycle given how the Swamp was poisonous again.

Jaune just shrugged.

He wasn't planning on trying that again, especially when he doesn't have to. But he likes to think that he would do a lot better if he were to face him again.

Still he did plan to go out towards the Mountains after a few more cycles… How long has he been here?

Thinking over it, Jaune came up with a conclusion that with the three days combined with how many times he re-lived them it had to have been three months since Woodfall.

So about four or rather close to five months since he ended up in Termina.

Almost half a year.

The only real thing that he was struggling with was the use of his magic no matter how much he worked on it he could only use it in short spurts, but he was beginning to get a little bit of control to where he wouldn't use all of it up at once.

So it was progress.

Glancing up at the sky, Jaune smiled as he saw that it was only three in the afternoon while they were on the First Day, Tatl having taught him how to tell time by looking at the position of the Sun.

Just enough time to find another monster to practice on.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

 _ **Alright hopefully this chapter was interesting enough despite the fact that it's pretty much a training montage or explanation one, a lot of it I did seem to gloss over, but I didn't want to bore anyone with him repeating the three days cycles just to train.**_

 _ **But I think the results really speak for themselves given how much better he is compared to Woodfall Temple with taking on a pack of Wolfos by himself. He's also learning more Swordsmanship and got two techniques down along with him being better at Archery but he's still a beginner there, though he will hit more than miss compared to before.**_

 _ **Now a few people might complain about the Swordsman being a bit OP compared to Odolwa but the thing was that Jaune lucked out with Odolwa winning because that monster didn't take him too seriously if you think about it. But he was also easier to hit than the Swordsman given how big he was.**_

 _ **Then we have Jaune trying to master his Magic, but he's not making much headway there, though there was a hint of a technique he would learn in the future with using the magic to enhance his sword, but right now it would use up all of his magic in a split second due to his lack of control so it won't be mastered for quite awhile. And it will be explained in a future chapter at how the Great Fairy of Clock Town knows about Hyrule/Remnant as well as some things that happened there despite being from Termina.**_

 _ **Oh and sorry but I decided not to do a Twilight Princess run when he gets back to Remnant as shown by Jaune learning two of the Hidden Skills from the game. I want to try and make my own version of temples that he would go through in Remnant-I have some ideas of which items he would get along with where the Master Sword will be-I haven't decided yet.**_

 _ **Finally yes it's revealed that Tael is alive after a few chapters, I couldn't picture Tatl putting it off forever, especially with everything that's happened I think it's in her character to make sure after awhile. Oh and please vote in the Poll for if you want Epona or the Master Cycle in this story.**_

 _ **So let's get to the Reviews.**_

 _ **Rmarcano321: Yeah it is pretty funny as for the theme, well I haven't really decided on it as of yet but it does show despair and hopelessness with hints of hope.**_

 _ **Thehappyvampire: Yeah that's the key with Jaune getting stronger faster as he has to force himself instead of resting, right now Jaune at this point would really kick his canon self's ass but he isn't up there with RWBY or the rest of JNPR yet and this is him without Aura, which he'll be pissed off about not having that when he learns of it. Sorry but I want to create my own instead of using another game like I am with this one. Weiss won't look down at him in the beginning though she would still not think much of him at first until she sees him fight should he survive Termina.**_

 _ **Elquenodebesernombrado: Yeah he will learn how to make potions and arrows along with bombs, but he's more worried about working on his fighting skills compared to that at the moment.**_

 _ **Maelaeran: Yeah, I really need to work on that to make it more interesting, sorry about that but I am happy to hear that the Boss Fight was the highlight of that chapter, especially when it's shown how lucky Jaune was given how unprepared he was for the actual boss which was why he spent a lot more time on his skills here.**_

 _ **ThatOneRandomDude: Huh that's pretty interesting there and Tatl feeding off the Giant Masks magic would make it work, but I don't know about actually having them being a pairing. But I'm happy that their interaction which evolved over the course of the chapters seemed natural given how I'm still trying to make it better.**_

 _ **Zathol: To be perfectly honest I think the Butler knew somehow in the game or at least suspects it which was why I had him act that way with Jaune in the last chapter. Yeah he will have to learn to ignore some people, but it won't stop him from trying to make their lives a little better in at least one cycle, most likely to assuage the guilt of failing to save them fully, but it also helps him out by giving him a useful item along with pointing him in the right direction. This will definitely give him a ton of development, which is already showing so far. Good point about some Zelda monsters. I have no problems with Redeads, though I can see the terror of them but it's stuff like the Wallmasters that traumatized me as a kid, especially when you don't have any warning of them when you play the game at the age of eight. But the one thing that scares me the most is the Dead Hand-funny how I didn't get scared of it as a kid but now that I know the lore it freaking terrifies me, Rated E for everyone my ass. I took a lot from Rangers Apprentice when it came to the Bow as it was a favorite book of mine and it teaches a lot about how to use a bow, so hope that was pretty good here but he's still learning with it. Yeah the alien on the ranch one was weird but I liked it pretty well. Yeah Odolwa was perfect for a first boss, but he wasn't really taking Jaune all that serious either otherwise he would've attacked him instead of focusing on the Fairy who distracted him. It was mostly down to luck for Jaune with the first boss… Er sorry for ruining that Tael was alive this early.**_

 _ **Zeldawolffang: Thanks for the compliment but I doubt this is the best Zelda/RWBY story, but it's nice that it's considered to be one of the good ones.**_

 _ **Darkromdemon: Thank you, developing his skills and character has been fun so far.**_

 _ **NeroAlmia: It's fine if you can't write in English that well, though since you said you can read it well that means I don't have to use google translate to repeat this. Yeah Jaune will definitely take advantage of everything Termina has to offer because unlike Link this is his first adventure and he had little to no skill with a blade when he started. I'll try to make the story in Remnant AU when Jaune arrives but some of it might turn out like Canon, I'm still in the process of planning that part. There is a small chance that Tatl might come but I might have her stay behind as well.**_

 _ **Percy morgesten: Yeah that's true, fun fact was that Link could turn into a fairy in one of the games, so it might happen to Jaune in the future. The thought of Pyrrha and Tatl making each other jealous is making me laugh.**_

 _ **Enumeaelish666: Huh now there's an idea, and well that wasn't what I had planned for the Fierce Deity Masks drawbacks that does sound like it would fit given the name FIERCE deity, so I might add that. Yes the other races were saved because the Goddesses are definitely stronger than the Gods of Remnant-at least I think so there's still a bit more to learn about them. But the brothers would be wary considering they would know the story of Demise so they would most likely avoid the Goddesses for now. As for what Zelda, I'm still trying to decide on that one.**_

 _ **StallionWolf: Yeah I don't know if I will go with Canon with his partner or throw a curveball with him meeting someone else, after all the only reason he became Pyrrha's partner was her seeking him out after saving him by spearing him to a tree. This Jaune will definitely be prepared for that so it's possible he would meet someone else. But he will be an equal to Beacon Students even without Aura given what he's going through.**_

 _ **Razmire: I'm in the process of coming up with one but I have one I might use, unless a better one is offered.**_

 _ **Fafnir1404: That's a compelling argument there, especially if nightmares about what if Tael did die for good were to happen along with both Tatl and Jaune being each other's emotional support as it was shown in this chapter. But it remains to be seen if Tatl will go with Jaune or not.**_

 _ **DPSS: Haha thank you, I'm surprised by a lack of Jaune as Link stories myself when I checked, that was the main reason I began this one, though I didn't expect for it to be so well received so far. Yeah him sliding down Odolwa's sword was a spur of the moment idea I added in, it wasn't what was originally planned but I'm happy I did it. Huh you make a good argument with Jaune getting the master cycle, I'll put up a poll for it.**_


	8. The Mysteries of Snowhead Part 1

_**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Legend of Zelda so please no suing!**_

 _ **Summary: Jaune was off on his way to Vale to enter Beacon and start his journey to become a Huntsmen, however on his way he was robbed of a family heirloom and ended up chasing the thief to a world known as Termina. Now stuck in a cycle of repeating three days, will he end up saving the world or will all of Termina die? … He should've stayed home.**_

 _ **Chapter 08: The Mystery of Snowhead Part 1**_

~ _ **Dawn of the Final Day~**_

 _ **-Twenty-Four Hours Remain-**_

Music could be heard out in the Fields of Termina as Jaune was laying on top of the hollow log, relaxing for once after quite a few cycles of training, the song he was playing was Saria's Song.

Even before he found out that this song ended up saving his life it was always an energetic and soothing tune for him to play and he was just happy to be playing it once more, for once not worrying about the moon hanging overhead.

That's not to say that everything was all fine and dandy, Jaune will admit that he's been having some nightmares lately whenever he does go to sleep. Of failing Termina. Of dying here and never seeing home again.

Whether it's to any of the monsters he already faced or to Skull Kid himself, Jaune dreamt of himself dying so many times already that there were times where he would be afraid to sleep. But he kept quiet about it, especially around Tatl who was slowly recovering ever since she found out Tael was brought back due to the Song of Time. It was with luck that she hasn't noticed yet, probably because his nightmares didn't make him react too violently and he would wake up before her.

He didn't want to ruin her improved mood so he pushed it down, forced a carefree smile on his face when around her and countless others in Clock Town because he needed to focus otherwise those nightmares will become reality.

Speaking of Tatl, Jaune could vaguely see her flying around, looking like she was looking around the fields to see if there was anything of interest that they could investigate, not being one to relax all that much. Though the way she was flying looked like she was idly dancing to the music without realizing it.

Still Jaune was really beginning to get antsy as he wanted to try and find the second temple soon, it's been forever since his journey through Woodfall Temple, or it felt like it at least.

Jaune really lost sense of how long he's been rewinding time but it's helped so much with learning swordsmanship and his archery was a lot better then it used to be.

He tested his archery skills at the Shooting Range in Clock Town and actually got enough points there to win a prize that upgraded his quiver to hold a few more arrows, something he appreciated having for the future.

But his swordsmanship was easily his best deal given how he already mastered those two skills that the Swordsman taught him.

Jaune hasn't gone for anymore as he's been gaining more experience fighting monsters, working on his stamina to where he could fight for quite awhile without resting now compared to before.

If his family saw him now they would be amazed by how different he was from when he left home. He had muscles that were toned from his training, skills to keep alive and he was versatile with his fighting style.

But he needed to get even better, Jaune knew he can't afford to make any risky mistakes. However how could he tell when he was ready if he didn't risk it?

"Tatl," Jaune called out, pausing from playing the Ocarina causing the fairy to give him a glance. "Next Cycle what do you think about checking the Mountain?"

That caught Tatl off guard, the fairy now flying right in front of Jaune, coming to a stop right in his face. "Are you sure?" She asked knowing that while they had to do it eventually, she didn't think they would be going anytime soon.

"Yeah, we've been putting it off long enough." Jaune said with an eager grin, clearly wanting to make some more progress. "Any idea what to expect?"

Tatl hummed in thought while Jaune put his Ocarina away. "I've never been up the Mountains but I do know that the Goron's live there." She said with Jaune tilting his head.

The Gorons, now there was something he did end up studying considering that was bothering him during his first cycle when the Guard made that sarcastic remark.

Gorons were a humanoid race with rock-like skin that could tower over most people that live in mountains with their basic diet being rocks. While they do sound a little intimidating at first, especially when you consider how they could punch through solid stone with little to no effort it was noted in the book that he read that Gorons were well known for their friendly, brotherly culture.

It was extremely rare for a Goron to be hostile to anyone unless given a reason and they had a love for sumo wrestling. But they were also very prideful to where they would refuse help from anyone but other Gorons even on the verge of death.

Jaune has actually seen a Goron before, one always came to Clock Town to stay at the Stock Pot Inn on the first day, so he knew what they looked like.

"You think the Goron's know anything about where the temple in the Mountains is?" Jaune asked curiously.

It was something to keep in mind, considering how the Deku's knew where Woodfall Temple was.

"More than likely, hopefully they're not feeling too prideful to share that with us." Tatl mused sounding worried.

"It'll be fine." Jaune said confidently, already making a plan on how to traverse the mountain.

~ _ **Dawn of the First Day~**_

 _ **-Seventy-Two Hours Remain-**_

Jaune exited Clock Town from the North Gate, wearing a newly bought blue cloak that was tied around his neck and some new gloves.

While doing some last minute prep with getting a some arrows and bombs, Jaune heard some talk about a strange blizzard going on through the mountains.

It was strange because a lot of Terminans were saying that it was supposed to be warm due to the time of year which lead Jaune to believe that the blizzard was probably a result of the temple they were looking for like how the Woodfall Temple made the Swamp Poisonous.

So he took the extra time to get some warm clothing to make going through the mountain easier, especially when he found a winter cloak for sale that was infused with magic to keep him from getting frostbite, but he was warned not to wear this anywhere except for cold places unless he wanted to risk heat stroke.

Making sure the cloak was on nice and tight, Jaune began to trek towards the Mountain, seeing ice blocking the road up there from where he was.

"Going to have to do something about that-," Jaune paused as he saw a rather large icicle right above it. "Bingo."

"You have an idea?" Tatl asked with Jaune nodding taking a few steps back while pulling his bow out.

It only took two shots from his arrows to have the icicle crash into the ice blockade, shattering it.

Grinning, Jaune began to climb up the mountain.

…

"I am so glad that I decided to buy this cloak!" Jaune shouted over the roaring blizzard as he slowly pushed against it, the snow being up to his knees at this point, his cloak flapping back a bit, barely staying on.

Even with it he was shivering a bit, that showed how bad this would've been if he came up here without it.

Tatl was taking cover in Jaune's hoodie to keep from being separated, the two sharing some body warmth.

"Just be careful with the shouting, the last thing we need is an avalanche." Tatl warned with Jaune cursing from how he didn't think about that.

He already had to deal with crab-like creatures called Tekites on his climb up there as they've taken to hiding within the snow, an avalanche would just add to his troubles.

He was lucky that the large snow boulders he blew up with a bomb earlier didn't cause an avalanche now that he thought about it.

"Why did it have to be a blizzard?" Jaune muttered to himself, climbing up a rather steep hill, having to use his gloved hands to grasp a rock that was in the snow, nearly slipping from how slick it was. "Out of all the problems it would cause it had to be this."

He officially hates the cold.

"You know with all of your complaining I bet I could've just flown up there by the time you reached this point." Tatl voiced and Jaune chuckled as he recognized the teasing tone.

To think that they were friendly enough with each other to tease one another in a playful way rather than a rude way like when it first started out. He enjoyed the banter at times.

"Oh really and what about the temple?" Jaune asked with a quirked brow despite how Tatl wouldn't see it. "I'm the one that does the fighting."

"I would use my wit to leave the monsters vulnerable." Tatl answered just as easily and that succeeded in making Jaune laugh.

"That you would."

Eventually however Jaune came across a sign that he had to wipe snow off of to read and he couldn't be any more relieved at what it said.

' _ **Mountain Village ahead. Beware of blizzards and deep snow. Gorons should be able to break the snow boulders easily.**_ '

"Finally." Jaune whispered happy to see that there was a village close by.

He needed to get out of this cold. Hopefully there was an Owl Statue in this village so he could avoid having to climb all the way back up.

"Hey Tatl, you said that Odolwa was well known in Woodfall right?" Jaune asked as they continued onward with Tatl giving a nod. "Do you by chance know what might be in the other three?"

Tatl hesitated, unsure if she does or not. "Odolwa was a complete surprise for both of us because I always thought he was nothing more than a story," She admitted, adjusting where she was sitting in Jaune's hair. "But considering he turned out to be real, I think we're going to have to expect the others."

Jaune kept quiet, waiting for her to continue, nearly losing his footing on a slick piece of snow before he kept moving.

"If I remember correctly, the one who nearly destroyed Snowhead Mountain in the legends was Goht."

"Goat?" Jaune asked in disbelief.

"No Goht, replace the a with an h." Tatl elaborated to him. "Though it doesn't really matter as he's a giant mechanical Goat, but he was still pretty powerful."

Jaune found that weird but he was happy to know what they might be facing for this temple.

"I'll ask about the other two later, right now we should just focus on this Goht.

Jaune held a relieved look when the Mountain Village came within sight.

Only for it to drop as he saw this village was only one cabin in the middle of a blizzard… At least he could see an Owl Statue.

"You think that whoever is in there will give us a hand?" Jaune asked hopefully while Tatl flew out of the hood to read the sign in front of the house.

"Mountain Smithy ahead. We sharpen any sword. We work hard so your sword works hard for you." Tatl read with Jaune blinking.

"So it's a sword smith?"

As he said that, Jaune glanced at his sword that was still at his hip, it was visible due to the wind blowing the cloak back.

While this sword has got him through some tough spots in Termina along with being the pride and joy of the Arc family for many generations, he did feel that it was lacking a bit.

Back in Remnant every weapon was a gun, yet his was just a plain sword. Not that it's not useful but it was long overdue for an upgrade. And in his situation any upgrade would do.

Hopefully his family will understand once he's back in Remnant.

"We could get more out of this than directions." Tatl suggested glancing at Jaune. "Do you have any rupees on you?"

"I always make sure to grab the hidden silver ones we found whenever we restart." Jaune commented as he had about three silver rupees making it a total of three hundred at this moment. "Think it'll be enough?"

"More than enough." Tatl stated with a nod.

Smiling a bit, Jaune opened the door to head inside thinking that if it was a shop then it was fine to enter.

It was a relief to be out of the cold, though the cabin didn't keep it all out but it was better than nothing.

Glancing around the cabin, Jaune noted that the floor went a few feet before it reached a counter with a few boxes to the side making it look like someone was trying to pack before giving it up as a lost cause.

There was also a massive hearth where the swordwork would be done except it was trapped in a massive block of ice showing why it wasn't as warm as it should be in here along with a desk that had papers scattered around it.

Next to the desk was a small green couch that had a person sleeping on it. This person was covered by a rather thick blanket, no doubt doing his best to keep warm.

"I think we're trespassing." Jaune whispered as it was obvious that this place wasn't open for business.

Tatl groaned a bit. "The door was unlocked though."

Deciding to come back later, they were about to leave when an unnatural deep voice stopped them. "Ugogh! Ugor ugoh ughor?"

Not knowing what type of gibberish was being said, both Jaune and Tatl turned towards the voice only for the former to step back in slight fear at seeing a massive form of a humanoid figure with ghastly white skin showing a lot of muscles, wearing nothing but a pair of undergarments, gloves and boots with an iron mask keeping its face hidden.

Jaune was a second away from drawing his sword as he eyed the massive hammer it was carrying when the sleeping man woke up with a groan. "Shaddup! Man just when I was having a good dream," He shouted to the giant who grumbled incoherently. "I heard you the first ti-wait customers?"

As if a switch was flipped the guy kicked the covers off with a smile on his face his brown beard a bit unkempt and he wore a white cap over his hair along with a pair of blue overalls.

"Welcome to the Mountain Smithy, where we take our time to make a good point," The man greeted smiling at his first customers in a long time. "I am Zubora, the owner. Pleased to meet you!"

"Ugo-oh!" The giant roared glancing at Zubora. "Ugo ugo!"

"Shaddup over there!" Zubora shouted at the giant with Jaune amazed he wasn't hit by said giant before the man glanced back at Jaune and Tatl.

"Um I'm guessing the big guy is your friend?" Tatl asked unnerved by the guy.

Zubora was still smiling at that question. "That huge fellow is my assistant Gabora. He's all brawn and about as smart as a Deku Stick." He explained before getting to the point. "Say did you come to have your sword sharpened?"

"If it's not too much trouble." Jaune said pulling his sword out to show Zubora who glanced at it.

"I see, normally it wouldn't be but we're not doing any business right now due to the cold snap." Zubora said pointing to the hearth. "If it was melted we would really be working on your sword, speaking of which how long have you had it?"

"It's been in my family for a long time, my Great-Great Grandfather used it." Jaune explained surprising Tatl who didn't know that the sword was a family heirloom.

"Interesting, your sword while it's losing its sharpness is in good condition despite its age," Zubora noted holding his hand out with Jaune getting the message as he handed the man his sword. "Your family has taken very good care of this blade."

Jaune smiled at that given how he's had it for awhile and this showed he took care of his-... Wait no he hasn't sharpened it before.

He hasn't even cleaned it before.

The only reason it's been in good condition despite him using it was because of how time restarted.

Jaune looked at the sword with regret in his eyes as he thought about that.

A true swordsman should always take care of his sword and he hasn't done that.

… He'll do better.

"Sadly it lost a lot of its edge long before you were born," Zubora stated, taking Jaune by surprise. "If we could work on it we would've tried to restore it to its former glory. If only we could do something about that frozen hearth-."

"Ugo-oh! Ugo, ugo!" Gabora cried out making Zubora frown at the man.

"Eh, what's that? If we had hot water we could melt it off?" Zubora asked with a scoff. "Don't act like you know what you're talking about you big Deku Stick!"

"Hot water?" Tatl asked latching onto that while Jaune smiled.

Hot water sounds like heaven right now-he really needs a shower instead of using whatever he could get for personal hygiene.

"Oh don't listen to him, he believes a rumor that says there's a Hot Spring somewhere in the mountains here." Zubora rolled his eyes as Gabora glared at him. "Bah, I don't believe such rubbish."

"Well if by chance we do find this Spring, I do have a bottle to carry it here," Jaune suggested to the man. "Would you be able to sharpen my sword if I do that?"

Zubora crossed his arms in thought before giving a nod. "On the off chance that you do we'll sharpen it for free, however if you happen across some Gold Dust we can use that to make your sword so powerful it will withstand the test of time and never lose its edge."

That made Jaune's eyes widen as he made a promise to himself to keep an eye out for this Gold Dust.

* * *

"What the dust?" Jaune asked a bit baffled by what he was seeing.

He didn't really make it that far from the Smithy, having taken out at least three different Wolfos who had snowy white fur in the Mountains.

"Oh great, it's him." Tatl muttered seeing what he was looking at. "Just look away and don't make eye contact."

"Who is that?" Jaune asked not sure why a man was wearing green spandex flying on a balloon.

"That's Tingle, he's… Very unusual," Jaune could tell that Tatl was trying to find a nice way to put it. "He's not bad, his maps of Termina are pretty good but he's obsessed with fairies."

That made Jaune give Tatl a cautious look. "How obsessed are we talking about?"

… He was debating whether or not to shoot the balloon so he could see about buying one of those maps that Tatl mentioned if they're that good.

"He's in his thirties and he's trying to become a fairy." Tatl deadpanned with Jaune blinking before deciding that he didn't want to deal with that.

"Okay no map is worth that." Jaune decided pretending he didn't see the man, Tatl taking cover in his cloak to hide from Tingle.

"Oh thank the Goddess." Tatl muttered after they passed him and went through a tunnel that lead to what looked to be a village with the buildings going underground.

Looking around, Jaune saw a Goron shivering in the cold. "Hey you alright?" He called out to the shivering rock.

"It's cold," The Goron answered as if that was obvious. "Being the gatekeeper in this cold is h-h-hard."

"Gatekeeper?" Jaune asked with Tatl ringing next to him. "What?"

"This is Goron Village!"

"Oh? Do you want to enter the village?" The Goron asked with both Jaune and Tatl nodding.

"Then I'll open the door with a Goron Pound," The Goron tensed as he got ready. "Just be sure to rush because I'll have to close the door to prevent the cold from getting in."

With that said the Goron curled up, launching himself into the air to slam into the ground and Jaune could see a stone door opening in response, leaving him to wonder how that even worked.

So thinking quickly Jaune pulled the Bunny Hood to put on and rushed through before the door could close, his relief at the warmer air turned to annoyance as a high pitched whining echoed around the place with him placing his hands over his ears.

He wasn't the only one as Jaune could see countless other Gorons trying to keep the noise out with their hands over their heads.

"Someone shut whoever is crying up!" Tatl snapped and Jaune was pretty sure that beneath her light she was probably covering her ears-.

… What does Tatl even look like without the light?

He'll have to ask that at some point.

Moving past the Gorons, Jaune could hear one of them wishing that someone would do something about this and he sighed.

Given his track record with going to new places he'll end up being the person to do this something wouldn't he?

It wasn't that hard to find the source of the crying after climbing a slope to a back room where a Goron Baby sat in a crib with two attendants already giving up on trying to appease the baby and were curled up hoping to block out the sound.

"If I was ever this bad I owe my parents an apology." Jaune couldn't help but say as this crying was definitely getting quite annoying at this point.

Making it to the baby, Jaune could hear some words through the crying. "Waaah… Henh, uwaaaaah… Daaaaaaaaaady, H-hunh… I'm cold."

"His Dad?" Jaune asked, not hearing an answer from Tatl who began to wrap the ends of his cloak around her to block out the sound.

"We're at our wits end," One of the Goron Attendants said uncurling to see him there, not that bothered about seeing a Terminan in front of the crying baby. "The Elder went to Snowhead and doesn't seem to be coming back. Now his son is so lonely that he won't stop crying."

"I see." Jaune felt pity for the baby now understanding the situation.

So if he finds the elder then the baby will stop crying and he might get information on where to find the next Temple.

…

"How exactly do you expect to find an elderly Goron in the middle of all this?!" Tatl couldn't help but ask with the two now back in the snow storm.

"Hopefully the same way we found Koume," Jaune easily answered back. "If we don't find him this cycle we'll try again and hopefully arrive to cut him off if he leaves early in the morning."

"So until then we're blindly going through a blizzard." Tatl groaned already seeing the flaws in that plan before a new but familiar voice interrupted them.

"That's one way to do it but many problems have multiple solutions."

Turning towards the voice, both Jaune and Tatl were pleasantly surprised to see the Owl from the swamp looking right at them.

"It's been quite awhile since we last saw each other," The Owl commented, those choice of words making Jaune adopt a shocked look. "I do hope you're prepared for this next temple."

Tatl was the one who got over the surprise first. "We went back in time after meeting you, how do you remember us?!"

"Even though we are all affected by the passage of time, reverse or forward the ancient spirits are not," The Owl explained to the fairy. "The Guardian of Woodfall kept me updated."

"Wait if he's still free then why is the Swamp still poisonous?" Jaune couldn't help but ask.

Surely this Guardian would've purified it without him.

"It's necessary to keep the masked Imp from investigating, though it hasn't stopped him from keeping the Great Fairy of Wisdom put together to help him out."

Okay that made a lot of sense right there but it was good to know that the Giant was still free and the Great Fairy wasn't shattered.

"You said multiple solutions, do you have one?" Jaune looked at the Owl who rotated his head to show amusement, especially with how Jaune no longer looked unnerved by it.

"Exactly what I said, it's good to see that you hold the power to change the fate of this land," The Owl gave a chuckle once more being reminded of a certain boy in green. "It's chosen well."

Both Jaune and Tatl were even more confused by that but the Owl continued before they could voice their confusion.

"But the road ahead is filled with even more challenges than what you've experience, please watch over these Gorons around you," The Owl gave the village a forlorn look knowing he couldn't directly intervene at the moment. "Their land is doomed to be smothered in snow and ice forever. It will become a land where no living thing can survive."

The more he was hearing the more Jaune wanted to save them despite how much like the Deku's it would all be undone.

"Without ' _courage_ ' and determination, you will surely collapse from the extreme conditions," The Owl seemed to put a lot of emphasis into the word courage making Jaune frown with uncertainty. "But if that courage and determination burns bright within you, then that's another story. So will you proceed?"

Courage?

Jaune knew at this point that he wasn't brave.

All of this started because he wanted to go to Beacon Academy to become a Huntsmen and be a hero like from those old Fairy Tales. Be a Knight in Shining Armor who got a happy ending.

It was naive to think like that, he knew better now that he wasn't a hero like that, a true hero would've been able to finish this by now.

He was scared, terrified of what was going on and Jaune had a feeling that this Owl knew that.

But his feelings didn't matter right now and he remembered how despite all the odds against him he did manage to purify the swamp to free one of the Giants and put the Great Fairy back together so he took a deep breath.

"Yes." Jaune said looking up at the Owl with a narrowed gaze. "You can ask that a hundred times and I will give the same answer, someone has to stop Skull Kid."

The Owl rotated his head back upright and gave Jaune a searching look before nodding. "This land has certainly changed you Mister Arc," He acknowledged seeing how different Jaune was from the last time they met. "You are a young man of many strengths, perhaps you do have the strength to change the fate of this mountain after all?"

The Owl then turned from Jaune towards what seemed to be a floating cave in the distance bringing Jaune's attention towards it.

"I shall take to the air now, flying towards that shrine across the way, so follow behind me," The Owl said earning wary looks from the two as only Tatl could fly making the Owl laugh. "Don't be daunted by appearances. Instead, let your true feelings guide you and the true path shall open before you."

With that he took to the air and Jaune understandably hesitated before he saw something strange.

The Owl seemed to be leaving a trail of feathers that were clearly laying on something in the air.

Don't be daunted by appearances. Now it made sense.

"Jaune?" Tatl spoke up as Jaune tensed. "What are you-?"

She never finished as Jaune straight up leapt off of the freaking cliff holding back a scream before his feet slid on something solid beneath him.

Something he couldn't see.

' _Of course, an invisible path._ ' Jaune realized now seeing why the Owl was leaving a trail of feathers.

It was to guide him without letting him fall to his death.

With that in mind as Tatl was quiet out of surprise, Jaune leapt from one feather to the next, sliding a bit showing how the path was pretty slick before he made it to the cave.

"Jaune don't do something like that without warning me." Tatl told him given how she nearly had a heart attack from him leaping off the side of a mountain.

On hearing that, Jaune gave a low chuckle. "I'll try but I can't promise anything with how this is going." He said feeling the adrenaline slowly disappearing as he wanted to catch his breath.

"Hoo-Hoot! You have certainly showed your courage and determination there," The Owl sounded remarkably proud of Jaune. "From here on you must not be fooled by appearances. You must rely on your feelings to guide you."

"So see with my heart not with my eyes?" Jaune asked with the Owl giving a nod. "Thank you uh-."

"Hoo-Hoo that's right I never did give you my name last time, I am Kaepora." The Owl finally gave his name with Jaune smiling at the Owl in appreciation. "Now enter this shrine, inside is an item that will aid you in your quest. Use that item to return from here."

With that said the Owl took off flying while Jaune stood up and entered the shrine, Tatl making her light brighter.

Jaune was surprised to see a lone chest in the middle of the cave room, enough to where he was wary in approaching it, hand on sword but it seemed to be unwarranted before he opened it to find quite a strange item.

It was a rather large purple magnifying glass with a tinted lens, three red spikes were perched on the top of the magnifying glass.

"How is this supposed to help?" Jaune muttered looking through it as he turned towards Tatl only to freeze.

"Hm? What is it-?" Tatl asked only to duck as Jaune swung his sword towards her. "What are you-?!"

Her question was cut off as Jaune's sword made contact with a Skulltula that was about to eat her, the hit making it visible to the naked eye as it died.

Now very wary and seeing how useful this was, Jaune began to look around to see if there were anymore invisible enemies while Tatl was understandably a bit shook up.

"Invisible Skulltulas, sure why not?" Tatl muttered to herself shaking. "As if they weren't terrifying enough already."

"Sorry for not warning you, there wasn't any time." Jaune apologized to Tatl considering he did just swing his sword at the fairy to get the Skulltula behind her.

"It's fine, just tell me to duck next time." Tatl suggested with Jaune giving a sheepish smile. "Anyways I think I know what that is."

"Oh?" Jaune asked holding the item.

"It's the Lens of Truth, a magic artifact that allows for people to see through illusions." Tatl explained with Jaune finding that very useful. "It can even show things that were turned invisible by magic."

Upon exiting the cave, Jaune used the lens to see floating blocks of ice where the feathers used to be and understood now why it was so slick.

He'll have to thank Kaepora for helping him get this item whenever he see's the Owl again.

Kaepora, Tatl, the Great Fairy.

He might be stuck in this nightmare world but it's great to see that he has allies to help him through this.

Taking the time to get back, Jaune smiled and went to walk off in search of the Goron Elder only to freeze, figuratively, at what he was seeing.

Floating in front of him was what appeared to be a Goron that was grey with quite the large scar on his stomach and a necklace of pearls around his neck.

"Jaune?" Tatl thought he saw another illusion and flew to look through only to nearly fall in shock. "W-What?"

Tatl's voice made the Goron look towards them, his eyes widening when he saw that they were looking straight at him. "You… You can see me?" He asked his voice echoing in their minds.

"K-Kind of hard not to," Jaune said looking over the lens to see that nothing was there but looking through it he saw instead of legs this Goron had a wisp of a tail, almost like-. "Oh Dust you're a Ghost."

The figure gave a nod not wanting to waste this opportunity now that someone could see him. "Please follow me."

While he floated off, Jaune looked at Tatl. "Should we?" He whispered with hesitation in his eyes.

Seeing Ghosts was something he thought would never happened, just when he thought this world wouldn't be able to surprise him anymore.

"It could lead us to the temple." Tatl suggested with Jaune nodding in acceptance.

Quickly glancing up, Jaune saw that it was close to three in the Afternoon, so he quickly took off after the Ghost.

* * *

It ended up leading Jaune back to the Mountain where the ghost flew past a small lake and go up a wall that Jaune was surprised to see a trail of grabbable surfaces through the lens, it seemed that the snow covered it.

Unsure of how to climb this without turning the lens off, Jaune came up with an idea.

Moments later he was climbing with his hood up, Tatl inside of it doing her best to hold the Lens in place as it could be seen beneath the hood instead of his face.

It was the only way he could think of to keep it on to see the places to grab without sacrificing a hand, though he could hear Tatl struggling to keep hold of it.

"You okay Tatl?" Jaune asked right as a gust of wind made the Winter Cloak flap in the wind, nearly making Jaune let go to grab it considering with it flapping the cold was starting to get in.

"J-J-Just fine." Tatl managed to get out her teeth chattering. "Are we nearly there?"

"In another minute or so we should reach the top." Jaune answered knowing that she was reaching her limit with holding onto the Lens. "Just hold on."

"W-What do you think I've b-been doing?"

Well it seems that she was still witty despite the strain.

He did nearly lose his grip a few times, but eventually Jaune made it to the top which was a relief to his sore fingers given how he's never really climbed a mountain like that before.

Tatl was even more relieved with how she flew out while he pulled his hood down to grab the Lens to keep it from falling.

He could see a pair of Gorons near a cave where the ghost most likely went into, though he held a concern look when he saw one of the Gorons was frozen in a thing of ice.

Despite wanting to help them, Jaune walked into the cave to see that it was some sort of Graveyard with the ghost hovering in front of it.

"The Soaring one said that the one who could see me would be arriving soon," The Ghost commented looking from the grave that was most likely his towards Jaune. "It seems that it turned out to be true. I am Darmani the Third. The blood of proud Goron heroes runs in me."

Jaune couldn't help but get a little starry-eyed at seeing a 'hero' even if it was a Ghost.

"This feels strange for me to say, but when I was alive, I was a renowned warrior and veteran," Darmani looked down and slammed his fist into the tombstone behind him only for his ethereal hand to go right through it. "Yes… When I was alive."

"How did you die?" Jaune asked not sure what to expect but Tatl looked at him. "What?"

"Don't you think that's rude to ask a Ghost how he died?"

… She had a point.

Darmani smiled a bit, not too bothered by that. "It's a fair question, don't be too hard on him," He said to the fairy before he closed his eyes. "Alas I died, I attempted to head towards the Snowhead Temple to vanquish the evil in there only to have the blizzard blast me off the mountain."

' _He knows where the temple is._ ' Jaune thought with wide eyes but he grimaced at hearing how he died.

A warrior that didn't die in battle or take enemies with him, but was blown off the mountain by a blizzard before he had a chance to help his people.

That had to be the worst way to die.

"As I am, I can only watch as Goron Village is slowly buried in ice, I may have died but I can't rest," The Goron looked up at Jaune with pleading eyes. "The flying one said that you had strange magic, please use it to bring me back to life."

Jaune took a step back in shock.

He could barely control his magic, but bringing a spirit back to life?

He didn't even begin to know how he could do that.

Tatl decided to answer for him. "I'm sorry Darmani but I don't think we can help you there." She said softly feeling sorrow for the spirit that won't rest.

"Very well," Darmani closed his eyes not wanting to show his sadness at hearing that. "If bringing me back is beyond you then please at least heal my sorrows in anyway that you can."

"Heal?" Jaune paused at remembering the song that turned him back to Human along with healing that dancer back during one of his first few cycles.

Now knowing what to do, Jaune pulled the Ocarina out and began to play the Song of Healing.

As he played the wind from outside began to blow through the cave the soothing notes combining with the howls of the wind adding to the ethereal quality as Darmani paused at hearing the song breaking its way into his soul.

"What a soothing melody…" Darmani whispered now holding his head as he began to feel strange. "My sorrows are melting away within this strange song."

In his mind as the Song of Healing was being played in the background, Darmani found himself surrounded by countless Gorons who began to cheer his name, his mind looking back to better days where he was proud and of how he kept hope alive within his tribe.

Just hearing them call his name was enough for Darmani to break down as tears began to streak down his stone face with him falling to his knees wanting to do more to help his people through this troubled time before Jaune's face flashed through his mind reminding him of who was helping him heal his soul.

So with a determined look, Darmani gave a war cry as he held his hand up, using the last of his strength before he passed on to give the boy some of his power.

The strength to save his people.

Back with Jaune he stopped playing as the ghost was replaced with a mask that held a Goron face before it clattered onto the floor with him picking it up.

"I leave my undying feelings with you," Darmani's voice floated through the last of the wind before it died down. "The deeds I accomplished while living are carved on my grave, you should read it. Please save my village."

Jaune gave a nod looking at the Goron Mask. "I promise I'll use your power to save this Mountain." He said whispering to the departing spirit and he swore he heard a 'Thank you'.

"You alright Jaune?" Tatl asked seeing tears running down Jaune's cheeks.

Sniffling a bit, Jaune gave a nod as while he played the Song of Healing he ended up on the receiving end of Darmani's thoughts and feelings before he passed on.

The sorrow, the pride, the joy and even in his last moments the hope he felt.

Darmani was entrusting him of all people to save the Mountain and Jaune tightened his grip on the mask with a determined look as he placed it on his face, hunching over in pain when the mask latched to his face the soul of Darmani intertwining with his own before he screamed out right as a flash of light erupted from him.

Standing in Jaune's place was indeed a Goron who had white hair and blue eyes with armored gauntlets and boots, a black kilt around his waist along with a black cloak on his shoulders with the hood pulled up to hide his face, blue orbs of a necklace were around his neck with a Goron Tribe symbol tattooed on both arms.

Pushing himself up, Jaune blinked and looked over his new body in surprise as a new feeling came over him.

Pride of his own strength, anger at whatever was causing the blizzard and determination to stop it.

Darmani's feelings intertwined with his own making him more determined than ever to put a stop to Skull Kid.

"It's terrifying to hear you scream like that." Tatl commented counting this as the second time Jaune was in pain for a transformation.

"I don't like it any better than you," Jaune said in a deep baritone of a voice that was a lot more mature than his was. "But you have to admit this form will have a lot of uses."

Turning towards the tombstone, Jaune blinked at seeing the symbols on the grave that he could understand perfectly despite being sure that he's never seen them before.

Must be more of Darmani helping him out.

It spoke of how Gorons could roll with their eyes closed giving a sonar-like sensation to help tell where to go and how Magic Using Gorons could emit spikes while being surrounded by fire.

Okay that sounds extremely useful.

About to move on, Jaune stilled as more of Damani's memories went through him and his eyes widen before he punched the grave much to Tatl's shock. "Jaune what are you-," She began only for water to fill the area now that the grave wasn't in the way. "Doing?"

The air began to heat up as steam formed around them showing that the Hot Spring Water was beneath Darmani's grave.

So he pulled a bottle of water out to put some of it in with a plan to hand it to the Swordsmith.

Then it was off to find out more about the Temple.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

 _ **Finally getting back to the main story with Jaune exploring Snowhead Temple and man did he get a lot of goodies such as the Goron Mask and the Lens of Truth.**_

 _ **But I bet him getting what I dub the 'Winter Cloak' was quite a surprise-I felt that it would be cool to make my own item for a LOZ adventure and given how Jaune was heading towards the mountain having a cloak like that would be a godsend as while it was fine in a video game to go in just a green tunic it was not smart to actually do so.**_

 _ **It's like the Goron Tunic you get in OoT which kept you cooled down only this cloak keeps you warm enough to prevent frostbite, though wearing it elsewhere would risk the chance of heat stroke.**_

 _ **Also it's my way of showing you that Jaune will get some different weapons in Termina as well as some of what Link got, for example perhaps a weapon he could only use as a Goron? Or something he could use as a Deku? Tell me what you think of that idea and I'll get back to you.**_

 _ **Time to get the Reviews.**_

 _ **Hashirama 1710: Hahaha so very true, I might have him say something like that in a serious tone towards his future teammates at Beacon for comedy.**_

 _ **Rmarcano321: Thanks, yeah the hidden skills are way to valuable not to use. Happy belated New Year and Merry Christmas to you as well. My inspiration for this fanfic? Well it's mostly a lack of Jaune as Link fanfics that I saw, which really surprised and saddened me so I thought it would be cool to do a one shot of Jaune ending up in Termina, which then took a life of its own afterwards.**_

 _ **Zeldawolffang: Yes it is, especially with what's to come in Termina as Jaune is only in the beginning.**_

 _ **PotatoMaster43: Can't have a Legend of Zelda fanfic without that being in there at least once or twice.**_

 _ **Mecharic: It'll be a different fanfic, a sequel to this as the title for this one is about his adventures in Termina. I have a plan for the stuff in Termina being fixed, let's say that someone will lend a hand for that.**_

 _ **Dragon lord Syed 101: I do plan to mix some things up, for example I do plan for Sheik to make an appearance and for Jaune to eventually get the Triforce of Courage, but as for Ruby being Zelda, I don't know… I'll admit to being a fan of lancaster but I'm not sure if I want to do something like that, as much as I like Ruby I'm not sure she fits with being Zelda.**_

 _ **Enumeaelish666: Depends on how I would do that really, Ruby with the Bunny Hood? The Sound Barrier would most likely break.**_

 _ **DPSS: Haha so true with the intermission chapter, but as for the magic attack it's a mix of that and Leon's sword technique in Kingdom Hearts. Thank you for agreeing with the whole him not going through TP and as for Ganondorf being behind the Grimm? I might make it to where he manipulated the events if I could think of it up but I'm still in the process of thinking up how the adventure in the sequel would be. I'm halfway done coming up with how the first dungeon Jaune finds in Remnant would be like, so I have a long way to go. Good question on the Master Sword affecting Salem, that bears some thought and yeah Salem as a human does look remarkably like Zelda which would provide motive for Ganondorf to manipulate the events… Thank you for the idea there.**_

 _ **Sanampatel881: *Facepalms* Oh. My. God. That is the best idea ever! … But if I do that then people might find the whole putting up a poll to be a waste of time.**_

 _ **Thehappyvampire: Haha now that would be a comedic moment for Jaune to do if the truth of his transcripts come to light. I never said that he wasn't going through another Zelda adventure, I just wanted to make my own instead of using one that already existed.**_

 _ **MangaG: Not sure about the slate but he will get the armor and some other weapons. The towers would be cool and don't worry I would go the more traditional way with Dungeons.**_

 _ **DarkHero12: I'm hoping the whole show depending on what it shows-pun not intended-but I want to finish the Termina one up before I get that far.**_

 _ **Nero-Almia: It's no problem and so far your English seems pretty good just keep practicing and it won't be a problem for you. Yeah, Character Development is the best thing for this story as there is no way in hell that anyone would remain the same after having to go through this crap. You can already see some hints of how the trauma is affecting him as his own lack of self-preservation as he did have low self-esteem that he tried to hide in Canon, with the events here he is taking more risks such as jumping off the mountain to get the Lens of Truth. I have no experience typing a person damaged by all of this trauma, or really showing it so I'll try my best. Yeah Team JNPR really need more screen time don't they? Whether or not I do it or change up the teams remains up for debate though. I do want to take some liberties with the plot to add to the story, but for now I'm just focusing on Termina-. Adam Taurus being Ganondorf? That is brilliant, but it would also take away the accomplishment that Yang and Blake had in Canon with Adam recently, grr now I'm conflicted because that's an awesome idea. I will not say anything about who will make an appearance. I didn't mean to make it sound like Weiss would act the same way towards him as in Canon, at first she wouldn't think much of him much like how she viewed Ruby, especially with him not knowing who Pyrrha was helping her form an early opinion, but his actions and skills would prove himself to not be underestimated. Oh and thank you, your last review did help me out with this chapter.**_

 _ **Guest3: Yeah not having Epona would be pretty weird I'll admit.**_

 _ **That guy st6: Haha thank you that definitely brightened up my day.**_

 _ **Elquenodebesernombrado: Yes that will definitely come up, I can promise that.**_

 _ **Zathol: Yeah, what's the use of rewinding time if you don't use it to work on your nonexistent skills? It's practically a crime not to, even with the mental trauma it would cause. Truth be told I'm honestly not sure if the Bunny Hood would be seen as racist or not. I'm looking forward to typing Jaune helping Romani out with fighting against Alien Invaders, I think after that not much could surprise him anymore if you think about it. The time to do that side quest is after Snowhead due to the Goron Powder Keg, so you'll be seeing it soon enough in the next few chapters after Goht is dealt with. Jaune switching between weapons is making him a Jack of all trades here only unlike most jack of all trades he might actually be able to master them before he gets out of Termina.**_

 _ **Razmire: Heheh don't worry just because Jaune isn't doing the Twilight Princess storyline doesn't mean he might not meet Midna, depends on how I do his own adventure. Thank you for the suggestions of Romani's nickname for Jaune they were very helpful.**_

 _ **Joseskywalker02: Just the thought of him summoning Epona at Beacon is making me laugh my ass off, thank you for the image and yes Jaune will eventually get the Master Sword as you can't have an incarnation of Link appear and not expect for Ganondorf/Ganon to follow.**_

 _ **HOREB 15: I'll try to update that one soon, sorry.**_

 _ **X3runner: Thank you, I'm happy that you enjoyed binge reading this story, it certainly makes the time and effort put into it all the more worthwhile. Heh all the time rewinding would make him find girls older than him more his type if you think about it. Now that is a good idea with the Fierce Deity having that type of effect on him, though a bit to a lesser extent that way he won't be OP by the time he gets to Remnant.**_

 _ **Oh right and I updated my Fanfic profile to have a spot dedicated to this story showing Jaune and the gear he has as of right now to help keep track of it.**_

 _ **Okay now before I end this off, I just want to say this… Excuse my French.**_

 _ **FUCK YES! KINGDOM HEARTS 3 IS FINALLY COMING OUT TOMORROW!**_

 _ **Seriously I grew up with that game so with them having the third one come out after thirteen years-... Thirteen years.**_

 _ **Okay now I feel like they did that on purpose. *Coughs* Sorry about that, so hope you enjoyed this chapter!**_


	9. The Mysteries of Snowhead Part 2

_**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Legend of Zelda so please no suing!**_

 _ **Summary: Jaune was off on his way to Vale to enter Beacon and start his journey to become a Huntsmen, however on his way he was robbed of a family heirloom and ended up chasing the thief to a world known as Termina. Now stuck in a cycle of repeating three days, will he end up saving the world or will all of Termina die? … He should've stayed home.**_

 _ **Chapter 09: The Mystery of Snowhead Part 2**_

 _ **~Night of the First Day~**_

 _ **-Sixty Hours Remain-**_

"Kid I don't know how you did it," Zubora began as Gabora was working on Crocea Mors in the background, the heat inside of the Smithy feeling like heaven to Jaune right now who was back to being Human at the moment. "But we owe you big time."

"Just got lucky." Jaune said grinning from ear to ear, not saying a word on how he found out.

Zubora probably won't believe him anyways.

"Luck like that must be a boon," Zubora commented with a laugh. "You might want to try the Lottery in Clock Town."

"Ugoh!" Gabora called out making the Smithy roll his eyes.

"Yes I was wrong, you were right about the Hot Spring water." Zubora admitted only to grumble as Gabora held out a hand making the man place three purple rupees in it.

"You made a bet on whether or not we would find the Hot Water?" Tatl dryly asked making Zubora chuckle nervously.

"Sorry but I thought it would've been easy money given how no one else found the water." Zubora admitted with a shrug. "Truth be told I figured you would've given up when you factor the blizzard in."

Jaune decided not to say anything about that, instead he asked a different question. "So how long would this take?" He asked gesturing to his sword and shield as they were his main weapon in a fight.

"We should be finished by tomorrow." Zubora grinned at the prospect of the two of them continuing their work before frowning. "Gabora you're hitting it wrong, do you want to damage that weapon?!"

Gabora snarled a bit while Zubora walked over to help his apprentice out.

Taking that as their cue, Jaune and Tatl left the Smithy only to shiver as it was colder at night. "Alright, that's out of the way, now we just need to find the Temple."

"There's nothing to do but search for the Elder." Jaune pulled out the Goron mask to put on.

At least as a Goron, he's more than capable of being out in the cold for a much longer period of time… Well that and he wanted to get the movement of being a Goron down.

"Hey I have to ask, how does it feel changing species like that?" Tatl was pretty curious given how Jaune was the only known person to be able to change that part of him.

Taking the time to think as they walked, Jaune answered. "It feels strange, I mean I'm still me but it's like there's someone else in here, for both forms." He thought about how he acted differently as a Scrub, and he knew he would act a little different as a Goron, but he didn't know how different. "Mind you at least this one can actually talk."

Sure he was much better at talking as a Scrub but it would've been a pain to relearn how to talk a second time here. Hey at least there were some form of muscle memory with fighting and moving like a Goron due to this being an adult form.

Tatl completely agreed with Jaune on that one as they were back near the Goron Village where a Wolfos came out to lunge at Jaune who acted on pure instinct that must've came from Darmani.

Instead of jumping back, most likely because he was currently too heavy to fight like he was used to, Jaune grabbed the Wolfos by the throat, choke slamming him to the ground where he punched with enough force to leave a crater, squishing the Wolfos head as it burst into flames.

"Holy-remind me not to piss you off." Tatl couldn't help but say as people always forgot how strong Gorons were due to their nature.

Jaune however stared at his fist with a shocked look.

He just punched a crater into the ground… Note to self train this form extensively because it would really help him out.

Seeing some snow boulders blocking his way, Jaune grinned and cracked his knuckles before going to punch them. It was almost therapeutic to see them shatter showing that he no longer needed to waste his bombs to blow them out of the way.

Plus it was fun to see his punches break them apart.

Eventually however as he punched more snow boulders, Jaune was surprised to see an extremely old Goron encased in ice with him barely stopping his punch from hitting it.

This had to be the Elder he was looking for.

"Okay we found him, so now we'll need to get him out of the ice." Tatl said while Jaune sighed with Tatl getting immediately what he was thinking. "Oh for the love of-, why couldn't the Hot Water be on the ground instead of high in the mountain?"

"Nothing we can do about it, let's just get it so we can free the elder." Jaune said turning back towards the village.

…

After some backtracking Jaune was back in front of the Elder Goron, pouring the Hot Water on the ice, melting it immediately as the Elder shivered for a second, unsure of what was going on. "Hunh? What was I doing?" He muttered his lower lip quivering from the cold before noticing Jaune who was still a Goron. "D-Darmani?! But you're supposed to be dead, am I hallucinating?!"

Jaune was unsure of how to feel about this as he didn't want to impersonate a dead hero as that would be disrespectful, but thinking on it, he knew that people would always mistake him for Darmani around here so he rolled with it.

At least Tatl was hiding at the moment because if anyone saw her after she was seen with his Human form it would make people piece it together.

"No you're not." Jaune said placing a gentle hand on the Elder's shoulder. "Come on we need to get you back to the Village."

"No, this must be some of Snowheads Magic Power," The Elder was in denial of Darmani being alive again. "If I can see past this illusion then you'll vanish in an instant."

"... I'm touching your shoulder." Jaune pointed out making the elder blink.

"Oh right."

"I'm beginning to think this guy isn't all there." Tatl whispered with Jaune giving a nod.

Growing old does that sometimes.

"Doesn't matter I need to head to Snowhead, I can't bury my child." The Elder quivered as he went to move towards where the Temple would be, only he was moving at a snail's pace.

"Your child is scared because you're not there," Jaune said channeling some of Darmani as he glared at the elder. "You're needed at the village, leave the Temple to me."

"Illusion or no, you were unable to do anything, it's a miracle that you're here," The Elder snapped at him. "I'm not putting our people through your death again."

"If you go there you'll die!"

"Then I'll die to keep my son alive!" The Elder roared at him before cringing as something in his body cracked. "Ow!"

"Exactly my point." Jaune said not backing down despite how he nearly jumped at how the Elder shouted at him.

It seemed that Darmani's spirit made him pretty damn stubborn.

Letting his eyes soften a bit, Jaune gently lifted the Elder up despite his protests and began to carry him towards the Village.

"Put me down this instant Darmani!"

"I'm not letting you go on a fool's errand to die, put your pride away and be there for your son," Jaune said in a harsh tone to ensure that the Elder understood. "You say that you don't want to bury him, but do you think he'll want to bury you?"

The Elder quieted down at that, enough to where he stopped struggling making Jaune's task of carrying him much easier.

* * *

"Is that my son?" The Elder whispered as they made it to the Village after giving the Gatekeeper a bit of a heart attack of seeing 'Darmani', but he wasted no time in letting them in when he saw the Elder with him.

"It is, now come on." Jaune said still carrying the Elder.

But as he moved, he could hear awed whispers.

"D-Darmani? He's alive?"

"No way I saw the body!"

"The Great Darmani has returned, praise to the Giants!"

"He even conquered death itself, amazing!"

Oh that's going to take some getting used to. The fact that he's literally wearing the skin of a dead hero was a little messed up but he had to bear with it.

Still whenever he restarts the cycle he isn't wearing the Goron Mask around here.

Making it to the kid's room, Jaune finally put the elder down who slowly wobbled towards his son who's crying turned into sniffles at seeing him approach.

"D-D-Dad?" The baby Goron asked now hiccuping while the other Gorons inside of the Village heaved sighs of relief. "Y-Y-You came b-back!"

"Hush there, no need to cry young one." The Elder whispered to his son, a tinge of guilt blossoming within him.

Reaching out he began to cradle his son before turning to Jaune.

"Darmani, would you mind playing that lullaby that I used to play for you when you were younger on your drums?" He requested with Jaune's eyes widening.

Crap, how was he going to get out of this-?

Jaune felt light headed as some memories flashed through his head of Darmani's younger years merging with his memories and on instinct he pulled his instrument out, the Ocarina turning into a set of Goron Drums that went across his stomach.

It was a quiet song going through a slow, soothing rhythm that he remembered as the Gorons Lullaby, smiling at how the rhythm echoed all around the room giving off a peaceful vibe.

Once he finished the Baby Goron curled up in a ball, fast asleep with the Elder gently placing him in his crib, leaving for Jaune to leave the shrine only to find himself surrounded by various Gorons who were relieved that the infernal crying has stopped.

"It's true, he is back!"

"Great to see ya Darmani!"

"I knew you couldn't be dead!"

Their comments were doing nothing but making Jaune uncomfortable before he realized that they all looked hopeful and it clicked in his head.

Seeing the 'Great Darmani' being back instead of dead was making the Gorons cheerful because he was their beacon of hope. Their reason to keep going throughout this mess. No matter how uncomfortable this was making him, he didn't have the heart to correct them.

So he steeled himself and looked on at the group of Gorons. "I'm sorry that I took so long to get back to you," He apologized using the memories to act like Darmani. "While it is delayed I swear I will end this blizzard plaguing our lands once and for all!"

His declaration was met with even more cheers with the Goron's chanting his-er Darmani's name, showing that he said the right words.

So he was about to head off before the Elder exited the room, still moving slowly. "Hang on Darmani you'll need your weapon first."

Jaune gave the Elder a bewildered look, thankfully the Elder seemed to have missed it as a few of the Gorons in the crowd took off before coming back with a pedestal that held a the weapon.

It was a rather large hammer with a metal shaft that held a solid steel hammer head, the Gorons presenting it to Jaune who was a little intimidated due to how the weapon was bigger than he was currently.

"We had it recovered after your death." The Elder explained to Jaune who frowned with uncertainty before he grasped the handle, finding it familiar as he lifted it, barely able to do it with one hand showing how he couldn't even hope to hold this in his Human Form with how heavy it was.

This was the Iron Hammer, Darmani's main choice of weaponry.

Placing the hammer into his Gear Bag, Jaune gave a nod towards the Elder in thanks before heading out.

* * *

"I still say this is a terrible idea!" Tatl shouted over the winds while Jaune still as a Goron made his way towards the Snowhead Temple using Darmani's memories to locate it after making sure to use the Song of Soaring to buy a Health Potion for his bottle. "At least wait until you have your sword back!"

She couldn't understand why Jaune was adamant about heading in there without his main weapon, but he was acting very stubborn.

"I'm not waiting anymore, we need to end this!" Jaune answered with a snarl digging his feet into the ground to keep the wind from blowing him off, being thankful for the heavy weight this new form had.

"You don't even know how to use that hammer!" Tatl protested not wanting a repeat of the fight with Odolwa.

Jaune just smirked as some Wolfos popped out, idly taking the Hammer out of his bag slamming it into the Wolfos easily knocking them off the mountain before giving Tatl a quirked brow as if asking 'you were saying?'

"Oh shut up." Tatl grumbled at that leaving for Jaune to give a laugh.

It was rather unnerving to see Jaune act differently from what she was used to as while he was kind of a dork in his human form he was pretty nice to be around, but this form seemed to be no nonsense and was a bit arrogant.

Just like how the Deku version of him had this childish excitement showing whenever he saw some sights in Termina like-... His Deku Form acted just like how Skull Kid used to act before he got the mask.

Now realizing what was going on, Tatl knew how to talk some sense into Jaune. "Take off the mask!"

"Huh?" Jaune gave Tatl a confused look.

"I want to speak to the human you Jaune!"

"We don't have time for this-." Jaune protested but Tatl got in his face.

"You can literally turn back time, make it!"

Surprised by the exclamation, Jaune sighed and did so, the hammer seemingly disappearing like how Crocea Mors does when he did so, only for Jaune to shiver and try to wrap himself in his cloak, dropping the Goron Mask in the process.

"Okay now that you're normal, how about we stop and think about what we're doing." Tatl said relieved that Jaune was back to normal.

Jaune blinked and looked at the mask that he dropped to see the Goron face looking right back at him and he was confused.

Yes he was in control, but now that he was normal he could already see the flaws in heading to Snowhead Temple right now.

Darmani's personality completely controlled his line of thinking.

Picking the mask back up, Jaune put it up and smiled. "Thanks Tatl," He said happy to be back to normal with the fairy's light brightening up to show that she was happy he was back. "But I have to agree with Darmani on this-."

Just like that the shining light now burned with surprise and anger. "Are you serious?!" She shouted flying close to his face making him take a step back. "You don't even have your sword!"

"But I have my Bow, and Darmani's form comes with muscle memory along with the masks, bombs and my other gear." Jaune pointed out with Tatl backing up a little. "I'm not exactly defenseless and-."

Tatl twitched as he trailed off. "And?" She pushed wanting to see what else was bothering him.

"Even though it would all be reversed I want to save them in this cycle," Jaune answered looking down with his eyes closed. "After seeing everything I can't just do nothing and wait. Even if I don't have my sword I have to do something."

After a few seconds of silence after his answer, Tatl sighed. "Why do you have to have a saving people problem." She muttered with some shrewd playfulness, poking some fun at him with Jaune giving her an indigent look. "I swear if we die in there I'm going to kill you."

Jaune grinned at that. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Jaune felt like his teeth were chattering the further up the mountain he and Tatl went, the snow now being up to his thighs really slowing him down as he pushed on, his ears and cheeks were red due to the cold.

It was enough that he almost turned into Darmani to help bare with the cold, but he kept going not wanting for his mindset to be changed unless he needed it.

"I think I lost feeling in my feet." Jaune finally said after a few minutes of this numbing cold. "Too bad the cloak doesn't extend that far down."

"Honestly I don't think it was made for blizzards this bad," Tatl commented a little worried about what Jaune just said. "You need to warm up soon."

"Yeah, but seriously who builds a temple this high up in the mountain?!" Jaune asked barely refraining from shouting. "I swear if the Ocean one is at the bottom of the sea I might go crazy."

"Knowing our luck so far it's bound to be."

The winds began to pick up, giving off a ghostly howl as it passed through the multiple peaks around them, giving a haunted feeling.

But they both felt relief as they finally made it.

The peaks of Snowhead where a narrow bridge went across a what seemed to be bottomless abyss towards another peak where a structure was carved.

There was no mistaking it, this was the Snowhead Temple and thankfully it wasn't hidden like the Woodfall one was. And Jaune was extremely happy that there was an Owl Statue there as well in case he needed to reset the cycle.

"Finally, going up this place was a nightmare." Tatl commented as she couldn't fly outside of the cloak for more than a few seconds without freezing and she knew it was getting worse for Jaune.

An intense gust of wind erupted nearly knocking the two back with Jaune placing a hand in front of his face with a grimace before it stopped. "What was-?" Jaune began to ask only for it to begin again.

"Jaune, there's something off about this." Tatl noticed given how it stopped for a few seconds.

Frowning, Jaune waited until it happened a few more times before it clicked.

This blast of wind… It was as if someone was breathing.

Unsure of what to expect, Jaune pulled the Lens of Truth out thinking it would help and felt his jaw drop at the unexpected sight he saw through it.

The cause of this strange wind was a Goron that was as big as the freaking mountain sitting in front of the temple, a blank look on his face as the gusts of wind was his breath.

This was the cause of the unearthly howls coming up the mountain-.

No.

Jaune suddenly remembered how Darmani said that a blast of wind near the temple made him fall to his death and understood.

This… This Biggoron killed Darmani but looking at it he could see that its eyes were blank showing that he wasn't in his right mind. Darmani was killed by one of his own who was in a trance, that's just messed up right there.

"Okay how the hell are we going to get past this?" Tatl asked seeing the problem while Jaune pulled out the Goron Mask thinking of how he got inside of the Woodfall Temple.

"I may have an idea." Jaune commented placing it on and he stood there in his Goron Form, Darmani's rage burning at seeing what killed him but Jaune barely managed to beat that feeling down and pulled out his instrument to play the Goron Lullaby with the drums echoing throughout the blizzard.

Eventually the blizzard began to halt, the Biggoron now visible due to the lack of wind and snow hiding it as he began to sway, his eyelids drooping before he curled up into a ball.

The peak was unable to hold him like that as he slowly tipped over and fell into the abyss.

"Is he-?" Jaune couldn't help but ask not expecting that but he sighed in relief when Tatl flew from side to side as if shaking her head.

"No he'll survive," She said simply knowing what Jaune was worried about. "A Goron that size will just feel a headache from a fall like that."

Filing that away in his mind, Jaune began to walk across the narrow walkway towards the temple, determination coursing through him.

Heh, once he frees the Guardian Deity in this temple he'll be halfway done with stopping Skull Kid so at least there was that to look forward to.

"Just need to climb this ramp and we'll be inside of the temple." Tatl's voice was filled with relief before she noticed something. "Hm? Where does that cave lead to?"

Following where she was looking, Jaune frowned before memories surged through him. "According to Darmani's memories that leads to the Fairy Fountain."

That was a good thing to know.

* * *

Upon entering the Temple, Jaune was immediately attacked by White Boes, they were the same as the black ones, only these ones were white because of the snowy environment.

Thinking quickly, Jaune put on the Deku Mask and spun around in a circle, easily killing them, a bit surprised that it worked considering how he was a Goron that put on the Deku Mask, said Goron Mask in his hand right now.

At least that showed he could switch between the two without having to turn back to Human.

"Vell dat wasn't so tough." Jaune commented with a smug look before shivering as his breath could be seen. "It's still cold in here."

"Mind you at least we're out of that blizzard, you would already be getting brittle the way you are now." Tatl commented with Jaune wincing at the image.

A brittle Deku out in the cold, now that was a terrifying thought.

Shaking that image out of his head, Jaune went to continue only see a giant block that was even bigger than the one he pushed in Woodfall blocking the way forward.

"Hm, this thing is kind of big, it's definitely going to take more than your average strength to move it." Tatl looked at Jaune. "Good thing you have a form that can make that easy."

Getting the hint, Jaune swapped the Deku Form for his Goron Form as he easily pushed the block until it fell leading to another room that had three doors, one of them frozen with a block of ice.

"Awoo-." The White Wolfos was cut off by Jaune just slamming the hammer into it with brute force, a casual smirk on his face turning to the two remaining doors to see one was locked while the other was unlocked.

"... You're still you right?" Tatl asked seeing how Jaune went quiet.

"I am, just thinking on the plan of going through here," Jaune admitted walking towards the unlocked door. "I think it might be smart to remain a Goron in here unless I need my bow, it'll help keep us warm and this is a Goron Temple."

"Yeah your Deku Form really came in handy in Woodfall," Tatl agreed with Jaune easily opening the door only for both of them to be surprised at feeling heat come in. "Oh that feels so good right now!"

Jaune gave a low chuckle in agreement with the door closing behind them.

This room was definitely larger than the other two with two sides separated by a gap that could be crossed by a wooden bridge.

Walking towards the bridge, Jaune peeked over the edge to see bright, red magma showing that if they were to fall, it wouldn't be pretty. But at least that explained the sudden heat.

"Jaune there's a Stray Fairy!" Tatl brought his attention towards a pillar where it was encased in a bubble.

"Now that is lucky." Jaune pulled the Goron Mask off to take out the Fairy Mask along with the Hero's Bow.

He had a lot more confidence in his Archery Skills to hit the bubble without hitting the Fairy now.

Taking aim, Jaune let the arrow fly, piercing the bubble with him grinning widely.

Once the fairy was absorbed into the Fairy Mask, Jaune sighed as it told him that there were fourteen more around this temple.

Great, why couldn't it be three or one stray fairy? It had to be fifteen.

Now glancing around the room on the sides near the bridge, Jaune could see quite a few ice sculptures there-they were breathing.

"Tatl what are those?" Jaune asked given how none of the books he read said anything about living ice sculptures.

"Those are Freezards, they can't move except to turn so as long as you stay away from their icy breath you're good." Tatl advised with Jaune taking that into consideration as he saw that they kept their breath going across the bridge cutting off access, only stopping for a few seconds. "The only way across is the bridge, but 'you' won't be able to make it due to how it's broken in the middle as you are."

Catching on due to how she was emphasizing 'you', Jaune knew how to get across, but he had to be careful of the Freezards to avoid being frozen.

Huh, he could see another stray fairy near one of the Freezards.

So he repeated what he did for the first fairy before putting the Goron Mask on, smirking as he will admit he's been wanting to try this ever since he gained the ability to become a Goron.

Curling up into a ball, Jaune closed his eyes happy that he did study what Gorons could do given how when they roll around they have some sort of echolocation that allows for them to see where they were going.

Waiting until, the sounds of the Freezards stilled, Jaune quickly took off, rolling as magic coursed through him before spikes erupted from his body right as he shot across the bridge, coming to a stop when he rolled into a wall.

"Ooh," Jaune grumbled to himself burping a bit. "How do they not get sick?"

"Well Gorons do roll before they can walk so they're used to it." Tatl brought up with Jaune really hoping he would get used to it. "You need a minute?"

"I'm good." Jaune commented looking at the two different ways to go.

There was a doorway across a small gap he could easily jump across to his left, but there was also a set of stairs directly in front of him.

Jaune needed to find a map and compass for this temple as well as a way to get rid of the ice blocking that one door, hopefully he didn't have to leave and get hot spring water to do so but it was an idea to consider if nothing else comes up.

Tatl looked back across the bridge in thought as she glanced down to the pit of lava. "Why is it that no matter what we have to worry for your life in these situations?" She asked with Jaune shrugging.

"I wish we didn't have to worry, but it's unavoidable."

Taking the moment to take the Goron Mask off, Jaune glanced at his assortment of masks and thought about donning the Bunny Hood to help speed things up.

He hasn't worn it that much in the mountain like area due to how he didn't want the blizzard to blow it off, but he should be safe to wear it inside the temple right?

Plus having the extra speed would make all the difference in a fight.

So with that thought he placed it on his head and ran up the stairs to find himself in a room where he could see a rat with a bomb for a tail that began to run towards him with Jaune quickly doing a side flip, the bunny hood giving him the speed and momentum to dodge it right as he pulled the Hero Bow out to shoot it, making it explode.

"Why do a lot of monsters in Termina explode after dying?" Jaune asked in disbelief before hearing something form behind him and turned only to jump back, barely getting out of the way of the Freezard's breath attack that would've froze him immediately.

He could see a chest behind the Freezard but right now Jaune threw a bomb at the Freezard blowing it up.

With that done he approached the chest, being cautious and opened it to find a Dungeon Map with him looking relieved until he read that there were five different floors as opposed to three but he sighed and put it away, turning only to give a start as there was a stray fairy in the corner looking at him wearily.

One use of the Fairy Mask and it trusted him before Jaune went back downstairs.

Once back in the room with the bridge Jaune jumped across the small gap to enter the door only to stop and stare, craning his neck along with Tatl being just as speechless as he was.

The room they were in was HUGE! Showing what had to be the majority of the temple that was shaped as a cylinder with various ramps jutting out of the wall where doors could be seen.

A tower of some sort was on the floor he was on allowing for passage to the other rooms on this floor as he looked down to see a basement that had lava pits.

This temple was quite the puzzling labyrinth and Jaune was grateful that they were still on the first day-er night rather. He could already tell that he needed all the time he can get to figure out how this temple worked.

"How many rupees do you want to bet we have to find a way up there." Jaune said dryly not liking their odds while Tatl's wings drooped down slightly.

"That's a suckers bet and you know it." She grumbled with Jaune chuckling before he got to work.

He first went to the yellow door across the room to find himself in a room that seemed to be a dead end with an upper floor and two stone blocks that were in the wall. So he turned into a Goron and pulled the blocks out to find a chest with a key.

Looking around the room, Jaune tilted his head before realizing how far apart the upper paths were and smirked as he pushed the stone block down to the end where it was right between them.

Now if he found a way up there he could easily jump across.

"I have to say I'm having an easier time in this temple than the Woodfall one." Jaune commented putting the bunny hood back on as a human while he ran out to the circular room, seeing a familiar red door that was blocked off with the ice, a torch nearby with him gaining an idea.

As he set himself up, Tatl spoke. "Probably because you have an idea of what to do compared to last time." She suggested watching as Jaune shot an arrow through the torch, melting the ice. "And you can do more than swing your sword around now."

Jaune chuckled at that, heading through the door seeing that he was right as he was back in the entrance where he opened the locked door with the key he found, counting the number of stray fairies he had.

Three so far, just need to find the other twelve.

Hearing howls, Jaune saw two Wolfos rushing towards him leaving him to quickly throw some Deku Nuts, making them howl in annoyance before he shot an arrow through their skulls, killing them quickly.

With that annoyance out of the way, Jaune moved towards the chest in the middle of the room and was relieved to find the compass that merged with the map and he could see the skull icon on the top of Snowhead Temple.

Now he knew where this Goht is most likely at, he'll head there after he finds the rest of the Stray Fairies.

Huh, according to the map there was another way out of this room and he could see a few cracks on the nearby wall.

"Let me guess, bomb?" Jaune asked Tatl flying up and down as if nodding.

So he did just that and imagine his surprise at how when he did that, he ended up blowing up a crate that was nearby that housed another stray fairy that was quickly absorbed in the Fairy Mask before he went up the now visible stairs.

Nothing interesting really happened in the next room as it was full of icicles that Jaune shot down to break some ice to make a path, he did find another Stray Fairy in that room using the Lens of Truth to find a chest behind a fake wall and another small key that was beneath a snow boulder that he used to unlock the door leading out of the room but that was about it.

The next room had an infestation of White Boes leading for Jaune to take them out as a Deku Scrub before looking up with to see if there were anymore, using the Lens to make sure none of them were invisible, that was how he found the sixth fairy.

From there he had a bit of trouble with a puzzle that utilized his Goron Form into doing something called a Goron Pound, where he curled up in a ball and launched himself into the air to slam into the ground.

Jaune had no clue how that made sense given how he couldn't jump that well as a Goron, but he wasn't questioning it as he had to do it on three different switches while timed to get out of that room to find himself back in the circular room, but a floor higher with the ramps showing.

So he rolled his way, picking up speed to launch himself across the room, barely making it to the next ramp, but due to Darmani's instinct he turned instead of stopping to roll across the slanted wall to the next ramp given how the first one had a frozen door he couldn't get through while the ramp he stopped at was accessible.

But he didn't stop there as he checked the map showing the room across from where he was right now had a chest and was a dead end while the room he was at continued on.

Chances were the chest in the dead end room had a fairy or the key to Goht so he had to check it out.

Taking a breath, Jaune repeated what he did earlier and rolled off the ramp, making it to the other side where he entered the door only to tense as bars slid down across the door knowing what that meant by now.

Looking around as he gripped the Iron Hammer, Jaune was surprised when he saw about four blocks that were set around the room before one of them glowed as a blue skinned creature appeared holding a staff while wearing a blue cloak as it cackled.

"A Wizzrobe?!" Tatl asked in shock. "I thought they were extinct."

"Wizzrobe?" Jaune asked a bit unsure due to how the name was before it shot around the room in a blur, disappearing in one of the blocks.

Oh crap it can teleport.

"Be careful, it can appear anywhere and make illusions of itself, you'll have a chance to attack before it does as it takes time to do so." Tatl warned with Jaune keeping an eye out as he saw it appear.

He went to rush it, swinging the hammer but it disappeared before he could get close and rushed around the room before blasting him with ice that knocked Jaune off his feet, nearly freezing him solid as he shivered.

Looking as the Wizzrobe became a blur again, Jaune realized that as he was right now he wouldn't be able to lay a single hand on this guy, it was too skittish.

With that in mind, Jaune quickly took his Goron Mask off, barely putting the Bunny Hood on to dodge the next blast that would no doubt finish him. He was fighting with the instinct to put his shield up to block it considering he didn't have it at the moment, instead he pulled out the Hero's Bow and prepped an arrow, watching as the Wizzrobe moved from block to block before he began to chant.

Taking that as his cue, Jaune let an arrow fly, piercing the Wizzrobe making it hiss before it disappeared.

When it reappeared, Jaune cursed as it multiplied itself and knew they were the illusions that Tatl spoke of and he couldn't tell which one was which-.

" _LEFT!_ " Tatl screamed with Jaune quickly ducking an ice blast, falling to the floor as he attempted to shoot an arrow but the Wizzrobe disappeared before it could reach him.

"How did you know?" Jaune asked seeing the tiles glow. "I couldn't tell which one was real."

"The illusions didn't have any shadows." Tatl quickly answered with Jaune's eyes widening as he glanced at the four quick targets, seeing the one with a shadow.

So he aimed and shot the arrow managing to hit it right in the skull as it burned up, dead.

Okay that was a tough one, or it was tough when he didn't know what to do.

"Thanks Tatl, you really saved me there." Jaune said grinning at his partner who flew around Jaune.

"You're welcome, now let's get going." Tatl said brightly right as the bars receded and a chest appeared.

Hanging the bow off his shoulder, Jaune approached the chest and opened it to find what looked to be a scroll with a flame symbol on them. "What in the world?" Jaune asked in confusion, grabbing the scroll to unroll it.

As he did so however it glowed as a voice whispered in Jaune's head with him getting light-headed.

' _With this scroll I leave the power to melt the coldest of ice to whoever finds it, should you seek more search for the other two scrolls for ice to freeze the hottest of flames and of light that can tear through the darkest of abysses._ ' The voice whispered as Jaune's quiver began to glow along with his magic actually showing. ' _To use this power, think of whatever you associate with heat._ '

Jaune fell to one knee, gasping for air as the scroll dropped, burning up as it did so destroying the secrets that it had.

"What was that?!" Jaune asked glancing up at Tatl who flew around him in concern.

"I think that was one of the scrolls for the Magic Arrows." Tatl said with Jaune blinking.

"Magic Arrows?"

"Yeah there are three types rumored to be around Termina," Tatl explained excitedly as the blonde stood up. "The Fire Arrows, Ice Arrows and Light Arrows, they were only spoken of in legends."

Taking that in, Jaune pulled an arrow from the quiver and thought back to what the voice said in the scroll and focused on what he thought to be heat.

Fire from a chimney, Desert air, Heat waves, raging infernos.

It took a bit but he was happy to see the arrow head ignite before it went out as he lost focus.

"This will make going around this temple much easier." Jaune had a big grin on his face, putting the arrow back in his quiver.

* * *

From there onward, Jaune entered the door across from the Wizzrobe room only to discover that it was the upper part of the room where he gained the map and he used a Fire Arrow on a frozen eye switch to create a shortcut to allow himself to go down before seeing shadows which elicited for him to use the Lens of Truth to see an invisible path leading upwards to yet another Stray Fairy.

Afterwards he ended up going back through the bridge room where he killed the Freezards by the bridge with his Fire Arrows, finding a chest that was frozen which held the eighth fairy.

It was when he was back in the circular room that he checked the map however before realizing he needed to find a way to raise the pillar because the frozen door only lead up but there were no ramps to roll off of. So he had to head down to the basement to see if he could find something.

Heading to the stairs, Jaune found himself in the room with pits of lava, the first Basement floor if the map was to be believed and he changed from the Bunny Hood to the Goron Mask as the rocky form actually protects him from the heat as well as the cold.

Though he will admit he didn't expect freaking flying skulls that were on fire to shoot out of the lava, catching him off guard as he was knocked into one of the pits, grimacing as he expected pain only to be surprised as it actually felt nice.

"Heck of a way to find out you're lava proof." Tatl muttered nearly having a heart attack at what just happened as Jaune stood up.

"You're telling me." Jaune agreed as the skulls came at him again.

He just swung his hammer in a wide arc, shattering them.

Sheathing the hammer as he decided to stay as a Goron down here, Jaune went to move only to accidentally step on a switch in the lava, making a chest appear nearby.

After collecting the fairy in the chest, Jaune glanced around the room trying to find something to use to help raise the pillar-if it could be raised he was just guessing at this point.

There had to be a way to reach the other rooms up there otherwise they wouldn't be there to begin with.

That was when he saw a wall of iron walls that went up to two floors, a goron switch on the second one and it clicked.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Tatl asked seeing the switch with Jaune nodding.

"Just need to find a way there." Jaune lamented at how there wasn't a way up there from here.

He could see a door so he walked through it to find himself in a room of pillars and a frozen Deku Flower that made him smirk.

Though he did have to go back to being human to use the Fire Arrow to melt the ice before becoming a Deku Scrub to launch himself in the air where he saw a few Freezards and three unlit torches leading to a room that was positioned just where the switch he wanted to get to was, only problem was it was blocked by bars.

And if the three torches were anything to go by, he probably had to light them to unlock the door.

' _Man it's weird at how normal this is becoming for me._ ' Jaune thought a bit surprised that he got it that easily compared to last time.

Seriously who builds temples like this?

Still he took care of the Freezards with his Fire Arrows, seeing a chest appear afterwards but he shot the torches to open the door before obtaining another key.

Entering the door he found himself in the right room with the switch that he climbed on before becoming a Goron to activate it and was elated to see the pillar shoot up allowing access to the other rooms while cutting off the ones he went in before.

Yet again he backtracked until he was at the frozen doorway to the left of where he fought the Wizzrobe, finding two more fairies in the process of trying to get back up there after raising the pillar and he climbed up to the next floor, seeing the locked door to the right where he had to roll across the wall as a Goron.

"I'm really getting tired of this temple." Jaune muttered though he knew it probably had something to do with it being the middle of the night, or was it morning?

He had no clue how long he's been at this.

Still he just needed four more fairies and he's almost at the top where Goht is at, perhaps he could rest before fighting Goht now that he knows where he is?

Opening the door, Jaune was surprised to see mounds of snow moving around with yellow eyes that rose up to smack him, before he blocked with the Iron Hammer, the force of the hit making his feet slide back a bit.

"Okay first ice sculptures tried to kill me, then pots earlier now the snow is trying to kill me?!" Jaune shouted in annoyance his exhaustion showing in his irritability given how backtracking a pot flew into the air to try and kill him earlier.

"It's an Eeno they're very persistent but a good source of heat will destroy them, be careful though the big ones split into three small ones when destroyed." Tatl warned with Jaune getting the idea as he pulled the Goron Mask off and shot a Fire Arrow at the Eeno and as Tatl said it split into three that he shot three Fire Arrows at, killing it. "Jaune are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Jaune said automatically, but he must've said it too quickly given the look that Tatl was giving him.

"We should find a place to take a break you could use the sleep." Tatl suggested now seeing how exhausted he was given that nothing was going on right now.

"We don't have time, we're almost done with this Temple." Jaune said ignoring the suggestion as he could see some ice on the wall, as if a ledge was there so he pulled out the Lens to see the twelfth Stray Fairy in a bubble. "Just three more and we'll have to deal with Goht."

"Jaune you haven't rested since we started this Cycle and with the blizzard going on and you actually using your magic with the Fire Arrows you need to take a break," Tatl told him while Jaune shot the bubble surrounding the Stray Fairy. "Just to get your strength back."

"I said I'm fine." Jaune finally snapped with a glare, but Tatl wasn't deterred.

"And what if Goht kills you because you were too exhausted to fight?" Tatl asked the question making Jaune pause. "Or any of the other monsters, you did take damage from the Wizzrobe earlier."

Jaune hesitated and Tatl pounced on that.

"If we want to beat Skull Kid you need to be at your best, we won't make it if you don't rest."

After a few seconds, Jaune sighed. "Alright," He relented seeing the points that Tatl made. "Let's find an area to rest up."

He wasn't staying in this snow like area to rest up.

As he approached the nearby stairs, melting the ice in the process, he shifted a bit. "Sorry for snapping at you." He apologized as he didn't mean to take his irritation out on her.

"It's fine," Tatl said knowing he was just tired. "I think this temple is getting to the both of us."

Making it up the stairs however had both Jaune and Tatl annoyed because instead of resting they were in a room with two Dinofols.

"Screw this." Jaune muttered tiredly putting on the Goron Mask given how he was going to be made of rocks he wouldn't be affected by their swords or fire breath.

Jaune didn't even use his hammer, he just choke slammed them into the floor before stomping on them.

He was however surprised when both of them had a Stray Fairy with him just needing one more, but he decided to remain a Goron as he sat down to rest now that nothing else was going to kill him.

Now that he was sitting, Jaune could feel his eyes getting heavy showing how Tatl was right about him needing to rest as he yawned.

After this break he just needed to get that last stray fairy and find the key to get to Goht then he'll be finished with this Temple and then he'll pick up Crocea Mors and restart the cyc-.

…

…

"After we finish this temple we should rest up at the Hot Spring." Jaune suggested, with Tatl turning towards him in surprise.

"The Hot Spring? You mean the one at Darmani's Grave?"

Okay that sounds really morbid when she puts it like that, but it was the only one they know of.

Jaune just shrugged. "It's technically a Hot Spring and we're going to be restarting the cycle anyways," He said not sure if he should be worried at how nonchalantly he was taking that part or not. "Besides after getting through that blizzard today a Hot Spring before heading back to Clock Town sounds amazing."

Tatl gave him that one as silence descended around them before Jaune instinctively curled up as he fell asleep with Tatl chuckling at that before she kept watch in case something did try to attack Jaune in his sleep.

That way she could wake him up and with him being a Goron, he was practically invulnerable to most attacks, especially curled up in a ball like that.

She was happy that he was resting after everything that happened today as she lowered the amount of light she emitted to avoid waking him up.

It was kind of funny though, everything that happened since they met, if someone told Tatl that any of it was going to happen she would've scoffed and made a sarcastic comment to how crazy they were.

Yet here she was.

Ever since Skull Kid found that mask it was all building up to this, maybe if she noticed how strange he was getting since he had it perhaps she and Tael could've prevented it. From how the Masked Salesman explained about the Majora's Mask it could be influencing him, so there was the chance that the Skull Kid she knew was still in there.

Or maybe it was inevitable to begin with and she was just deluding herself.

Looking back at the now snoring Jaune, Tatl recalled something the Great Fairy said when it explained how he survived the Lost Woods.

' _Something pulled you into the Lost Woods… Something is testing you._ '

What in the world could be testing him and if so why would this test be this nightmare they were trapped in?

What kind of cruel being would make a test like this?

She didn't know how long she hovered there thinking before she noticed something strange.

Jaune's curled up body was quivering, was he cold?

When she began to hear Jaune whimper however Tatl realized he wasn't cold, he was having a nightmare.

Now that she thought about it, she shouldn't be surprised given how everything went it would've been strange if Jaune didn't have nightmares, she had them to at times. And suddenly she remembered whenever Jaune looked tired, yet he smiled whenever she asked about it and realized he's been having nightmares for awhile.

' _Why didn't he say anything?_ ' Tatl wondered some concern coursing through her as the shaking got a bit more erratic.

Having enough, Tatl flew in close. "Jaune?" She called out trying to wake him up. "Jaune!"

Immediately Jaune uncurled with a wild look about ready to throw a punch in her direction as Tatl quickly flew back in shock while Jaune was breathing heavily, eyes darting around the room before seeing Tatl and realization dawned on his face before he sat down, quickly taking the Goron Mask off.

"Tatl?" Jaune muttered showing that he realized how he nearly punched Tatl as a Goron. "I didn't-I mean… I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, are you alright?" Tatl asked as Jaune turned away and pulled the hood of his hoodie to hide the shame on his face.

"I'm fine," It came as an automatic response like last time and Jaune knew he didn't fool Tatl. "How long was I out?"

"No you're not changing the conversation, I know you're not alright," Tatl flew in front of him as he kept trying to turn away but she wasn't having it. "Don't look away while I'm talking to you."

Jaune hesitated but he stood up. "We've wasted enough time, we have to finish this temple." He said in a tone that told her to drop it.

"How long have you been having nightmares?" Tatl wasn't willing to drop this however before he whirled around at her.

" _I SAID I'M FINE!_ " He shouted at her in annoyance his voice echoing around the room.

It got silent between them before Jaune turned around and walked towards the door and after a second, Tatl followed.

Jaune closed his eyes with some guilt because he knew that Tatl was just worried about him and he shouldn't have snapped at her but they had better things to worry about. His nightmares can take a back seat until Skull Kid was taken care of.

On exiting the room, Jaune found himself on the top of the pillar but he could see one more floor above him, the room where Goht was as well as another room across from him.

"You think there's a way to raise this again?" Jaune asked, receiving no response for a bit before Tatl spoke.

"I don't think so, if there is it's probably inside of the next room."

Jaune gave a nod of agreement, checking the map to see that there were two chests left in this Temple.

One held the Key to Goht while the other one most likely held the last Stray Fairy.

So he entered the room for the door to lock behind him as he saw multiple blocks around him with a Wizzrobe appearing.

"Huh, deja-vu?" Jaune muttered seeing that it had more places to teleport from while he took the Hero's Bow out.

It didn't take too long given Jaune knew how to beat it due to last time, though it did take a bit longer as due to having multiple blocks it had a lot more illusions to try and throw him off.

Seeing it destroyed, a door that Jaune didn't notice before unlocked rather than the one he came in through so he went through that one to find the gold and blue chest showing what this one was.

He had the Key to Goht.

"Now we just need to find the last fairy," Jaune looked at Tatl with a grin. "Almost done."

"Yeah." Jaune's smile disappeared from how distant Tatl sounded and knew why she was like that.

Still he didn't say anything else to that as soon they were back at the pillar with Jaune looking at the map.

"It makes no sense, according to this we missed one chest and it's in this room, but we didn't see anything like that anywhere else!" Jaune had a glare on his face. "Where didn't we look?"

"Do you think it's invisible?" Tatl asked finding that a little frustrating with Jaune pursing his lips in thought.

"Most likely, we did have to look through some fake walls." Jaune admitted, wondering where to begin to look as he peered over the edge in thought.

That was when he noticed a strange patch of ice on the wall.

"Wait a moment," Jaune pulled out the Lens of Truth and smirked as it showed a Deku Flower behind the wall there along with a chest. "Bingo."

"Great, how do we-?" Tatl went to ask only to see Jaune back and up it clicked. "No, don't you dare-!"

She was cut off as Jaune leapt off the pillar, the wind blowing past him as he managed to grab the ledge, gritting his teeth as he felt pain in his arm, nearly pulling it out of its socket from grabbing the ledge like that but he ignored it to pull himself through only for Tatl to fly in and slam into the back of his head.

"Ow, what was that for-?" Jaune went to ask only for Tatl to ring loudly in his face.

" _DO YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF DEATH WISH?!_ " Tatl shouted at him. " _YOU COULD'VE DIED!_ "

"Hey I didn't." Jaune said as if that justified what he just did, rubbing the back of his head. "It's no big deal."

"No big de-what if you missed?!" Tatl asked with Jaune glaring.

"But I didn't."

"Didn't isn't good enough you could've missed and died right there from the fall," Tatl told him before she went quiet as a startling realization washed over her. "Are you trying to die?"

Jaune gaped at her. "Of course not, why on Remnant would you think that?"

"You could've died when you jumped off the mountain, coming here without your sword and from what you just did!" Tatl listed off his actions this cycle. "Along with the other risks you've been taking in this temple."

"Tatl I'm not trying to die." Jaune tried to appease her. "I know Termina would be screwed if I wasn't here to rewind time-."

"I could care less about Termina right now, I'm worried about your death wish!" Tatl interrupted hotly. "I don't want to lose a friend!"

Jaune went quiet at that.

Death Wish, he didn't have one, he wanted to keep living thank you very much. But he can't worry about himself while this whole mess was going on, why couldn't Tatl see that-?

Realization dawned on him.

Because she lost Tael in that first cycle.

Now he understood as Tatl was shaking in a mixture of fury and concern. She already saw a family member die and was helpless to stop it much how he felt on seeing that, so seeing him just risk his life like that unsure if he would make the leap or not most likely made those memories fresh in her mind.

"Tatl, I promise that I don't have a death wish." Jaune said softly to her.

"I don't believe you." Tatl stated with Jaune looking away with a sigh as they stood there in silence.

Jaune then walked to the chest to get the last Stray Fairy. "We're almost done, let's finish this up and get out of here."

"You're avoiding the issue again." Tatl pointed out with Jaune ignoring that part, not wanting to admit that she was right.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

 _ **Okay I thought about doing the boss fight in this chapter but with how long it is right now I think that would be a bit too much so I'll leave it for the next chapter and I know I probably disappointed some people by having his Goron Weapon be a plain Iron Hammer but at least think on it like this, the sword isn't the only weapon that Jaune will upgrade in this story and I'll leave it at that.**_

 _ **But while most of this chapter had him going through the temple which can be kind of boring I hoped you enjoyed the dialogue between Jaune and Tatl along with them finally confronting the issue of Jaune pushing the nightmares and his lack of self-preservation showing things getting strained between the two.**_

 _ **I'm also replaying the Majoras Mask game to get back into the story a bit because I finally found my copy after losing it months ago so that was one of the reasons I've been taking so long.**_

 _ **So here are the reviews being answered.**_

 _ **Rmarcano321: Thanks and so far I don't think so, I never planned on a theme.**_

 _ **Dragon Lord Syed 101: It's fine the review wasn't cringy, I was tempted by the idea and yes Ruby's reaction to Jaune's gear is going to be glorious, though she'll only know about the upgraded Crocea Mors and the Hero's Bow when they do meet, I don't see Jaune sharing what each and every bit of his gear is to a complete stranger when they do meet.**_

 _ **Hashirama 1710: That does sound like it would be a good idea to type, man just imagine their reactions if they succeed and see what he usually faces without them.**_

 _ **Suntan140: It was a fun game, I'm definitely playing it again.**_

 _ **Thehappyvampire: Yes he is and yes it would. Haha yeah people would see Jaune as a lover of the classics if they take his sword, shield, bow and if he got Epona into factor. If I was Jaune and survived Termina I would definitely be reading comics and overusing technology so Jaune would most likely do that.**_

 _ **DPSS: I know what you mean, the Zelda games don't really have that part going for them unless you count the ones with Toon Link because that Link can really show his emotions.**_

 _ **Commandosquirrel: That would be pretty funny wouldn't it?**_

 _ **StarGazer2326: I did think about that but I figured I could give him a different hammer that will be shown after the Iron Hammer is upgraded.**_

 _ **Enumeaelish666: Good call on how Tatl would look like and thank you for your support in the idea of the other forms having weapons. Huh Adam becoming Ganondorf afterwards does sound intriguing. And don't worry Zelda won't be any of the RWBY girls I can promise that.**_

 _ **Guest4: Thanks and I know right? But it has started to pick up a bit because I've been seeing some Jaune as Link stories appear so that's good. Having Skull Kid, Tatl and Tael coming to Remnant would be fun but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.**_

 _ **Joseskywalker02: Thank you for the compliment and the weapon ideas. I won't be giving out any information on where the Master Sword is unless it comes up in the story, sorry about that.**_

 _ **NeroAlmia: Haha yeah the chapters do turn out a bit short, but I'd like to think that this one is pretty long in comparison. And more of Jaune's changes were shown in this chapter, more of the negative than the positive if you think about it. But the friendship forming between Jaune and Tatl is easily the best part of this story and you're right it would be a heartbreaking farewell. Truth be told I'm surprised no one has ever given any of Link's forms their own weapons, I mean the potential is there and all so why not? The Winter Cloak is the only 'original' item I came up with that I plan to have here, it's not the only changed equipment that Jaune might receive but I'll try not to go overboard with it. And don't worry Ruby isn't going to be Zelda, Zelda will be Zelda in this story no hidden name I can promise that and it won't be a Jaune/Zelda story because while I do ship any incarnation of Link with Zelda in the game I will admit that not all of them work. And I can see why people liked Arkos but it never really appealed to me because you never see any actual attraction from Jaune until after Pyrrha kissed him and then died which left him confused and hurting so those two will end up just being friends in this fic-sorry to those Arkos fans but it's not happening in this story. True this is fanfiction so I do have to change some stuff otherwise why bother typing it? I'll give it some thought. And no Midna won't be Jaune's partner in Remnant, I actually have an idea on it and it'll be a RWBY character but not anyone that someone would expect, I'll leave that part to your imagination.**_

 _ **Liantei: Thank you, I hope you at least give the LOZ games a chance sometime in the future because they are a lot of fun to play and it would help in understanding what's going on at times.**_

 _ **Shonisto: Thanks for the suggestion but I already had the weapons in mind when I made the announcement last chapter.**_

 _ **Justarandomdude: Yes but people who act like that don't really see it like that, he will eventually though.**_

 _ **X3runner: It's been awhile I can tell you that much, probably close to a year and yes Jaune's sword will be upgraded like that. Jaune may have a slight echo of the Triforce of Courage if you look back in the first chapter while he's falling, I wasn't exactly subtle about it when I started. I might do a serious moment with Tingle in the future though I haven't decided.**_

 _ **Lean: Thanks, but I do hope I get better with my writing style to keep it enjoyable.**_

 _ **Zathol: Haha yeah in video game logic one could run up there in swimming trunks and be fine, but with this story I wanted to take a realistic approach to it which was why I added the winter cloak. Yeah Jaune's sword upgrade will be pretty sweet and he will race for it in the future which will hopefully come out pretty well. Good call with Neo and Emerald having the Lens of Truth being used against them, it would be Jaune's trump card if he could find a way to use it discreetly. And I do have the weapons planned out to a degree, I hope you'll enjoy them. Yeah, this story is really showing how much Jaune has changed and will continue to do so especially with his courage and yes the Owl is alluding to that, it's been alluded to since the first chapter while he fell, I haven't been subtle on it, but he doesn't have its effect yet. Honestly after Termina I don't see Jaune as the flirting type given how everything that will happen go, but I will at least show him trying to flirt with someone in Termina to at least show that part of his character. I'll try to change the story when I get back to Remnant but I'm still thinking on what to do with that part, especially the Adam vs Blake and Yang part. Pft haha having that type of reaction with Jaune asking about the glow is hilarious to think about thank you!**_

 _ **Zeldawolffang: Thanks and I hope you'll enjoy the ones he'll get.**_

 _ **Donkike07: Thanks, that means a lot, especially with how far this fic has come so far, I still remember typing the first chapter thinking I probably wasn't going to post it. And thank you for the idea of the Magic Arrows being scrolls for him to learn from, that really helped a lot and you're right having Light Arrows would really be OP for him when he gets back to Remnant but not all Grimm will die upon being hit by them, just injured after all it doesn't one hit KO bosses so some Grimm can resist it to a degree. The idea of it and the Master Sword against Salem is an intriguing one though.**_

 _ **Redacted987: Thanks I'm happy you're enjoying this and no Link isn't his Dad but an ancestor of his. And while he will be going to Beacon that doesn't mean he won't be doing his own thing at the same time, especially if he finds some dungeons without the others knowing.**_

 _ **Razmire: Thank you for the suggestions on the weapons but I have them figured out already, you'll see what they are when he gets them and they're upgraded.**_

 _ **Legomanny: Yeah, he doesn't really have the time to think about it due to how absorbed he got within the time loops and I think this chapter's ending is the most emotional it has shown so far. Cia and Lana… That is brilliant, I didn't even think about them despite how Hyrule Warriors is one of my favorite games, man I feel like an idiot. Thank you for bringing them up.**_

 _ **RobinRuken: I can't answer that without spoiling the story sorry. You do make a good case on if any of the RWBY girls could be Zelda it would've been Weiss, especially if you think about the whole Heiress thing, but the only thing that wouldn't fit would be the looks.**_

 _ **ShadowknightBrunel: Thanks and no they aren't lying by the time he gets to Beacon, and I hope you enjoyed Jaune going through the temple without his sword as he's kind of an emotional thinker instead of a rational one-at least I'm pretty sure he is-so him deciding to head in there after seeing the Goron's suffering is something he would do.**_

 _ **Foul: If you don't like it, don't read it, thank you for your time.**_


	10. The Mysteries of Snowhead Finale

_**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Legend of Zelda so please no suing!**_

 _ **Summary: Jaune was off on his way to Vale to enter Beacon and start his journey to become a Huntsmen, however on his way he was robbed of a family heirloom and ended up chasing the thief to a world known as Termina. Now stuck in a cycle of repeating three days, will he end up saving the world or will all of Termina die? … He should've stayed home.**_

 _ **Chapter 10: The Mystery of Snowhead Finale**_

 _ **~Dawn of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-Forty-Eight Hours Remain-**_

It took a bit to get to the locked door leading to Goht after that… Mishap and argument that Jaune and Tatl had, the two of them haven't said much to each other since.

But on the way, Jaune took notice at how some parts of the pillar were a different color and after a bit punched them as a Goron to make the pillar a bit shorter which allowed for him to find a hidden passage that allowed for him to get up to the main door.

However he was hesitating on going in because the moment he does, he would be in for a very tough fight.

So he turned to Tatl.

"Do you know anything about Goht that might come up in the fight?"

With Odolwa that fight came out of nowhere and they didn't have a plan, if it was Goht in this temple then they had a chance to make a plan to take him down quickly.

Tatl frowned, trying to think. "From the stories I've heard, he was built to take down an army of enemies with little to no effort," She began not sure if they could count on the old stories or not. "So going at him head on won't work and I think he had the ability to shoot lightning."

Jaune winced at hearing that as he didn't know if his Goron form would help out, given it was rock you would think that lightning wouldn't affect him that much, but Goron's had a nervous system, so he didn't know.

Perhaps he could use the Bunny Hood to keep ahead and shoot arrows or throw bombs until he wins?

"So don't out muscle him, keep moving and attack any weak spots I see." Jaune listed off not liking those odds.

It wasn't a plan, but without any true information on how these monsters work he couldn't make an effective one.

So he pulled out the gold key and unlocked the door, tensed and ready to jump out of the way as the door opened up for him to walk through.

It was a rather big room, not like the one with Odolwa but the room itself seemed to look like a race track with big, rusty walls blocking out the room that wrapped around the circular room where the podium was, Jaune glancing around before spotting Goht who was taller than Odolwa, a fact that had Jaune fearful of this fight in itself.

A thirty foot tall robotic goat covered head to toe in steel plating that had various hues of purple and black. Its face looked like that of a glaring old man with a long pointed beard.

But what shocked Jaune and Tatl was the fact that Goht was frozen solid.

"Wait, if he's frozen than how is he causing the blizzard?" Jaune asked not getting it with Tatl going silent in thought before making a ringing noise.

"It's his presence," Tatl said earning a confused look from Jaune. "His presence in this temple is causing for the blizzard to happen much like how Odolwa's presence in the Temple caused the poisoned swamp since the Guardian Giants were sealed away to prevent their defeat."

Jaune gave her that one before grimacing. "I need to free him from the ice so we can get rid of him, won't I?" He asked dreading the answer.

"... I think so." Tatl agreed looking at Jaune who hung his head. "At least he didn't come out of nowhere."

That made Jaune laugh, feeling a bit better despite his nerves. "Yeah and we have a Red Potion with us so we're good."

Still his Arrows won't do much to his armor so that was out, but Darmani's Hammer might have an effect. And he won't be able to dodge that well as a Goron so going head-to-head against Goht might actually be his only chance despite how bad of an idea it was.

So he pulled out the Hero's Bow and readied an arrow. "You ready?" Jaune asked Tatl focusing as the arrow caught fire. "Once I melt the ice we're going to be in for quite the fight."

Tatl wanted to say no, but they needed to do this, so she gave a nod showing that despite their argument earlier she had his back.

For better or worse, they were in this together.

With that said, Jaune let the Fire Arrow loose as it shot into the ice, steam emitting immediately as it began to melt rather quickly.

Seeing that, Jaune quickly donned the Goron Mask and got ready with his feet digging into the ground with a determined look, bracing himself for what he anticipates to be one of the hardest fights of his life.

What he does will determine if it'll be his last or not.

Once the ice melted, the gears inside of Goht began to shudder before they turned on as the head lifted with Goht awakening from his slumber, glancing around from side to side before seeing Jaune who glared right back.

With a roar, Goht slammed a mechanical hoof into the ground making the rusted metal walls break apart as it went to tackle Jaune who curled up and rolled out of the way as Goht began to run through the room with Jaune getting the idea.

This room was a Race Track, so this fight was also a race of death if one thought about it funnily enough.

Perhaps his current form was the reason for finding that humorous, but Jaune quickly took off after Goht, spikes emerging from his body as his magic made him go faster with him slamming into Goht's body, sparks flying with the spikes hitting the armor.

Not having it, Goht slammed into Jaune causing for him to veer off as a stalactite fell from the ceiling with Jaune barely avoiding it before having to roll to the right to avoid a bolt of electricity that surged from Goht's horns.

Tatl was doing her best to try and keep up as Jaune took off again attempting to run Goht down, dodging the rocks that were kicked in his direction with surprising control.

What she didn't know was that Darmani was actually taking the reigns in this fight, using his memories to help Jaune control himself while rolling as he caught up with Goht using a slanted rock to launch himself into the air where he collided with Goht's left hind leg making him stumble right as Jaune came to a stop in front of the Snowhead Monster.

Not wasting any time, Jaune pulled out the Iron Hammer and slammed it into Goht's face, spinning in the process to hit him again but when he tried for the third time, Goht slammed his horns into it, the two of them struggling as Goht was making Jaune slide back before letting out electricity through the hammer.

Jaune cried out in pain, his body spasmed as Goht took advantage of that and used his horns to knock the hammer away, flinging Jaune over his shoulder into the wall, taking off in the process.

Shaking his head to clear it, Jaune quickly grabbed the hammer to put it up and rolled to catch up with Goht, cursing as he sensed the monster of Snowhead actually stop to ambush him, flinging electricity left and right with him being hard pressed to dodge them, giving the Mechanical Monster the time to run.

It was a game of cat and mouse with Jaune being happy that Goht didn't seem to be planning a strategy despite being a robot, just acting on instinct. But it countered its lack of planning with sheer strength that Odolwa lacked showing that Goht was stronger than Odolwa who was smarter than him.

He could sense Tatl easily flying after them as she flew near him. "Goht takes a few seconds to charge the electricity, it's not much of a time window but you can take advantage of that," She got out panting slightly from how fast she was flying. "And steam seemed to be emitting from its back, chances are if you hit him there you might damage the gears!"

Jaune had no way of answering her as he rolled, but he did appreciate the information that she gave him, especially since she might've just found the weak part of Goht's steel plated armor.

Curving around more stalactites, Jaune kept pushing himself to get closer and closer to Goht who was flinging more rocks his way, along with the random bursts of electricity, showing that Tatl was right with how there was a few seconds between each shot at him.

Finding another slanted slope, Jaune launched himself and managed to slam into Goht's back, uncurling himself as he grabbed a wedge between the steel plated armor with Goht howling furiously at the newly added weight.

Even as a Goron, Jaune could feel the heat coming from the wedges as he raised his fist that wasn't using one of them as a handhold and began to punch Goht's back, his fist actually denting it.

Goht slammed his side into a wall as he ran, attempting to buck Jaune off who punched his back repeatedly.

As it cracked a bit with more steam escaping, Goht had enough as one of the steel plates opened up and shot a freaking bomb at Jaune's surprised face knocking him off as the explosion was a lot stronger than the Bomb Mask with Jaune's skin looking cracked.

Struggling to get up, Jaune saw Goht turn around and pawed at the ground.

"Jaune get ready he's going to charge." Tatl warned with Jaune nodding and accepting the challenge, curling up into a ball and he shot at Goht who met him head to head with a loud bang.

They both shot back with Jaune managing a back flip despite his large size, landing on his feet a bit unsteadily while Goht fell to his side, rolling quite a bit but getting up immediately.

While Jaune's rock skin was a bit more cracked, some blood showing in the process, Goht had the most noticeable damage with his face dented, black smoke emerging from it before it had two plates on its shoulders open up to shoot more bombs with Jaune quickly rolling out of the way.

It seemed that Goht was no longer attempting to have this be a race and was now actively trying to kill him.

Using one of the bombs to mask his approach, Jaune shot through the smoke uncurling as he pulled out the hammer to slam into Goht's dented face making the damage worse while Goht managed to tag him with more electricity, part of it missing to hit the wall, while Jaune slammed into the other wall with Goht regaining his footing.

Jaune quickly stood up with a glare, getting ready to move as he heard Tatl fly next to him. "You're wearing him down, just a few more hits and he'll be finished." She said seeing the damage done to both of them.

"Got it… And thanks." Jaune said referring to the hints she gave during the fight right before Goht charged and this time he grabbed it by the horns, sliding back.

Seeing the horns beginning to charge, Jaune thought quickly and moved his hands from the horns to punch Goht right in the face, making his head snap upwards, the electricity hitting the ceiling in the process, but Jaune didn't stop there and began to unleash a barrage of punches, ignoring the stalactites that fell around them, each one of his punches filled with Darmani's fury at the damages this monster has done to Snowhead Mountain, making Goht's head snap side to side.

If he paid any attention, he would've noticed his fists catching fire with each punch, before he managed to actually knock the mask off of Goht's face to reveal its robotic face that roared in fury, slamming its head into him with Jaune gritting his teeth as one of the horns actually impaled his left side right when it began to discharge electricity with Jaune howling in agony.

" _JAUNE!_ " Tatl shouted at seeing that, looking for a way to help him out before seeing enough room in the armor wedges from Jaune's hits and braced herself as an idea came to her before she flew in there, grabbing some small rocks in the process, Jaune seeing that despite the pain.

" _TATL!_ " Jaune called out before Goht ran with Jaune still on the horn, headbutting the wall to damage Jaune who tried to get himself off before Goht began to spaz out a bit.

Meanwhile inside of the machine, Tatl was trying to find someway to get Goht's attention off her friend, flying around the gears to avoid being crushed as she threw rocks in them to jam them, some of the rocks breaking but some of them caused for the gears to stop.

Her actions were making Goht short-circuit a little, allowing for Jaune to free himself by breaking the horn that impaled him, pulling it out of his side with some difficulty before stabbing it right into Goht's robotic eye before it took off, more smoke billowing right as it ran into the wall.

As it did that, rocks fell and covered Goht, burying him as he gave one last cry before shutting down, officially dead beyond repair.

Jaune quickly ran towards the buried monster and began to move the rocks.

" _TATL!_ " He shouted again praying she was alright as he threw a rather huge rock. " _SAY SOMETHING!_ "

Jaune didn't care that he might be bleeding out right now, he just wanted his friend back.

Moving another rock, Jaune spoke. "This can't be happening," He whispered now understanding what Tatl felt when he risked his life for that last Stray Fairy. "I'm sorry I worried you earlier, I'm sorry that I yelled at you!"

Struggling to move another rock as he could see Goht's remains below it, Jaune continued.

"It's just- I didn't want to burden you with my nightmares," Jaune admitted hoping that she was still alive, this time tears were falling. "Everything that's happened, I wanted to be strong to keep you from getting worried, you were just getting better after seeing Tael again that I wanted to keep you smiling."

Moving another rock showing Goht's mechanized face, Jaune's hands fell as he couldn't see any signs of her.

"Please, I don't know what I would do without you around," Jaune whispered not wanting to accept that she might be dead. "If I can't protect my friends, then what good am I?"

"Don't say that." Jaune's head snapped up as he could finally see a bright light emanating from inside of Goht.

"Tatl!" Jaune reached in there, feeling around before he managed to pull her out seeing her light a bit dimmed but not too much. "Are you alright?"

"I'll live, sorry I couldn't answer you earlier, I was trying to get myself loose," Tatl apologized while Jaune smiled in relief. "But forget me you're the one with the hole in your side!"

Jaune blinked, the adrenaline from the fight and worry were now leaving his body as his vision was swimming, something that Tatl noticed.

"Potion! Jaune use your Potion right now!"

Forcing himself to keep his eyes open, Jaune grabbed the bottle out of his bag and downed the Red Potion, gritting his teeth as his injuries healed before feeling refreshed.

"Almost forgot about that." Jaune muttered with Tatl giving him an incredulous look.

"How do you forget a hole in your side?!"

Jaune just laughed, taking the Goron mask off as he did so before wincing as he placed a hand on his side.

It would take a bit for the pain of being impaled to go away, but Jaune had something he needed to say to his friend.

"Tatl I-," Jaune began but Tatl interrupted.

"Before you start let me say this," Tatl said softly to him. "You can't just bottle everything up, you said you didn't want to burden me with your nightmares but it's not a burden! It'll never be a burden."

With that said, she flew a bit closer and Jaune felt what he was pretty sure was a tiny hand on his cheek.

"I'm your friend," Tatl reminded him, wanting to be sure he got this. "Friends help each other get through things, alright?"

Feeling some tears coming out of his eyes, Jaune gave a wordless nod before he wiped his eyes, smiling with relief, no longer needing to say anything at the moment.

The heartfelt moment was interrupted by a glowing object off to the side and it took Jaune a few moments to realize that was the mask he knocked off of Goht so he approached it, picking it up and once more he and Tatl were back on one of the platforms surrounded by green water and stone pillars.

Just like last time, he could see a giant figure enshrouded in the distance yet Jaune was able to tell that it was a different one than last time. "Y-You're the second Giant," Tatl said seeing what was going on. "The Guardian of Snowhead."

The Giant gave a bellow that sounded like the Oath to Order, but instead of it being a song, it was as if the being was speaking.

"B-But why were you sealed away? How were you sealed away?" Tatl asked wanting some answers only for the Giant to be disappearing into the mist. "H-Hey wait!"

But it was all for nothing as Jaune and Tatl were back in the Mountain Village, the sun shining showing it was nine in the morning, but that wasn't the most surprising part.

No, the most surprising part was the fact that all of the snow was gone, spring-like weather filling the air as the long blizzard finally came to an end. Bright green grass was everywhere and the flowers were blooming, there was even a rainbow in the sky due to all of the snow quickly evaporating.

"This place is beautiful." Jaune whispered seeing how it looked when it wasn't covered in snow.

"Two down, two to go." Tatl said with Jaune smiling.

They were halfway done with gathering the four.

"Alright, let's get the Stray Fairies to the Fountain-." Jaune went to say only for Tatl to chuckle. "What?"

"How about we get your sword first alright Jaune?" Tatl suggested with Jaune giving a sheepish chuckle.

"Right, since we're here and all." Jaune rubbed the back of his head with a smile.

* * *

Zubora was giving Jaune and Tatl a strange look as the blonde received the extremely sharp Crocea Mors from Gabora with him looking it over with a pleased look.

It looked good as new, the scratches were also buffed out of the shield giving it a bit of a shine. Better than it looked in ages if Jaune was being honest.

"I take it you're pleased?" Zubora asked with Jaune giving a nod. "That's good, we owe you big time."

That made Jaune look at Zubora in confusion, sheathing Crocea Mors in the process. "What do you mean?"

"Do you take me for an idiot?" Zubora asked in good humor before glaring at Gabora who made an 'Ugoh' sound. "Oh shut it you big Deku Stick, I didn't ask you!"

Jaune just looked completely lost, exchanging glances with Tatl to see that she didn't know either.

Zubora sighed. "This blizzard has been happening for weeks with it getting worse, so bad that even the Gorons were suffering," He said crossing his arms to give Jaune a one eyed smirk. "Yet the same day you show up, not only do you find the hidden Hot Spring Water to unfreeze the Hearth for us, but suddenly it's spring the very next day?"

Seeing Jaune looking a bit embarrassed was enough for Zubora to confirm that as he laughed.

"Kid you are definitely something else," Zubora's grin got wider at Jaune. "I'm happy we got to work on your blade."

"Ugo! Oh! Ugo ugo!" Gabora slammed a fist to his chest in agreement.

Their praise was getting to be a bit much for Jaune who was red in the face as he smiled, though it was strained as he knew he needed to restart the cycle.

"Though I wouldn't mind upgrading it if you have the Gold Dust I told you about." Zubora suggested with Jaune sighing.

"We haven't found any." Tatl answered for him. "We appreciate the thought though."

"Hm," Zubora rubbed his chin in thought before looking at Gabora. "Well you knew about the hot water somehow, any chance you know where to find the Gold Dust?"

"Goh! Ugo Goh!" Gabora gave a nod as he spoke with Zubora blinking.

"Wha? The Goron Races?" Zubora asked gaining Jaune and Tatl's attention with the Swordsmith looking thoughtful. "Well it's true that they have prizes for their races, in fact with Spring here the chance of them having one today is pretty high."

"And they have Gold Dust?" Jaune asked wondering if he should check it out.

"I don't know if they do or not, but it wouldn't hurt to look," Now Zubora was wincing. "Though good luck finding a Goron to give it to you."

Jaune just grinned. "I might have a ' _friend_ ' to help me out."

Raising a brow at how Jaune worded that, Zubora gave a shrug. "Alright if you get the Gold Dust today we'll upgrade your weapon as thanks for bringing spring here," He offered with Jaune nodding in agreement. "But only today, we'll be heading to Clock Town tomorrow for the Carnival of Time."

Jaune stilled at hearing that before nodding again, trying not to show some remorse knowing that the Swordsmith wouldn't find the Carnival.

Still he was going to head for the Fairy Fountain before finding out about the Goron Races.

* * *

The moment they stepped into the water of the Fairy Fountain, the Stray Fairies flew out of Jaune's bag and in a flash of light the Great Fairy of Snowhead Mountain appeared with red hair as opposed to the green or pink hair that the other two had.

"Oh strong young one, I am the Great Fairy of Power," The Fairy introduced herself smiling kindly at Jaune who quickly bowed his head. "You have shown tremendous strength in your journey, far more than most your age would."

Jaune shuffled a bit, not so sure about that.

He had a lot of help in his adventures so far, so it wasn't just his strength.

"Don't be so quick to look down on yourself," The Great Fairy told him as if knowing what he was thinking. "Strength and Power comes in many forms."

"They do?" Jaune asked not expecting that.

Giving a nod, the Great Fairy floated up as she held her hand out with it glowing. "Now as thanks for restoring my shattered body to normal allow me to gift you with a special item."

The bright light that followed almost blinded Jaune before he felt different, a rush of energy coursing through him and that was when he noticed a pair of bracelets on his wrists that he stared at curiously the golden tint shining in the light from the fountain.

"These are the Power Bracelets," The Great Fairy of Power explained, smiling at Jaune's curiosity. "It's an item that bestow great strength to one who wears them, and it also braces your body to handle immense pressure."

"How strong are these?" Jaune asked in disbelief at what he was hearing.

Bracelets that give super strength?

Yes he's had several weapons, magic and masks but this was the first time any of his items, that wasn't a mask, boosted something about him.

"Enough to lift and throw stone statues that weigh multiple tons." The casual way the Great Fairy said that made Jaune's eyes widen in disbelief. "But they don't increase your striking power."

"How does that make sense?" Tatl asked in confusion, with Jaune nodding in agreement to that question.

Enough strength to lift several tons, but the same strength when swinging a sword?

"They weren't created for combat but they've been modified over the years," The Great Fairy elaborated to them. "They will no doubt come in handy for the rest of your journey."

* * *

"So do you feel any different?" Tatl asked as both she and Jaune were back in Snowhead Village, both of them ready to head out to Goron City to inquire about the race.

"Well I feel more energized, but I think that was just from being in the Fountain." Jaune looked down at the bracelets.

He still couldn't believe what he heard about these bracelets.

Several tons.

It was a hard concept to grasp.

Sure it was magic, but Jaune couldn't wrap his head around it, especially because he didn't feel any different with them on.

Did they have to be activated like his magic?

Shaking his head, Jaune decided he could try and figure it out in the next cycle because he had a time limit to get to the Goron Race right now if he wanted to upgrade Crocea Mors.

… That's if they do give out the Gold Dust as a prize.

As they walked, Jaune smiled at the warm air, taking notice at how different the place looked as he could see a lake instead of ice in one area that they were passing with Jaune folding up the Winter Cloak to put in his bag.

But right when they were about to cross a bridge, they paused at hearing a crying that was very familiar.

"Don't tell me." Tatl muttered to herself while Jaune slowly followed the crying, backtracking until he went up a slope to see a passageway that was blocked off by a rock.

In front of said giant rock was the son of the Goron Elder who was sniffling, rubbing his eyes.

"Hey are you alright?" Jaune asked approaching the baby Goron who sniffled and glanced up at him.

"Hm? Who are you?" He asked wiping his eyes to focus on Jaune who smiled a bit awkwardly.

"Oh uh I'm Jaune Arc." Jaune introduced himself having to remind himself that he only met the kid as a Goron, the time he saw him crying didn't seem to register with the kid either. "What's wrong?"

The question made the kid whimper as he glanced back at the large rock. "Now that it's spring, the Goron Derby Race is supposed to happen," He explained with Jaune gaining an idea of what the area behind the rock was. "But this rock is in the way and none of the other Gorons can move it, with it there we won't be able to start the race."

"Hey Jaune I think you can move it." Tatl suggested with Jaune giving her a surprised look.

"Are you kidding that's way to heavy-," He began to protest only for it to die down as he remembered the Power Bracelets. "Oh right."

W-Would they work?

The Goron Kid blinked in confusion at what was being said as Jaune stood up and approached the rock, hesitating a bit.

Placing his hands beneath a small opening beneath the rock, Jaune crouched down and began to lift with his legs, grunting as the rock shuddered before it slowly began to rise with the Goron Kid gaping at what he was seeing.

Jaune kept lifting until he blinked in astonishment as he was holding the giant rock above his head, feeling some strain but not too much of it.

"Whoa, you Terminans are a lot stronger than we Gorons give you credit for." The Goron Kid said looking very impressed before Jaune threw the rock across the water, watching it sink. "That was amazing."

"It was nothing." Jaune said still feeling shocked by how that worked.

"Nothing? You're crazy if you think that's nothing." The kid said obviously disagreeing while he looked at Jaune having respect for his strength. "You should watch the races, you might enjoy them."

With that said he curled up and rolled inside of the cavern that the boulder hid while Jaune just glanced at the bracelets in awe.

He was never taking these off.

"Well he's certainly more enjoyable when he isn't crying." Tatl muttered to herself, leaving for Jaune to chuckle.

"He's just a little kid, you can't expect him to be mature yet." Jaune said grinning at her before glancing around to see if anyone was watching, pulling out the Goron Mask in the process.

"I guess so, doesn't make it any less annoying though." Tatl conceded, not even blinking as Jaune changed into a Goron before he went to head off towards the Village to find out more about the race and give them some time to set it up considering he did just get the boulder out of the way.

* * *

It got silent when Jaune entered the Village as every Goron looked in his direction while he walked towards where he last saw the Elder, trying to ignore how unnerving the silence was for him.

He didn't know which was worse, the silence or them thinking he's Darmani.

Did they discover he wasn't actually Darmani? That could be a bad thing if they misinterpret how he could turn into a Goron given the method.

"Ah Darmani, I've been waiting impatiently for you!" The Elder said upon seeing Jaune putting his worries to rest on why the Gorons were silent. "You sure took your time to come back after you sealed up the blizzard that has been blowing from the Snowhead Temple."

"Sorry, I had to catch my breath." Jaune said a bit sheepishly, earning a rather sharp laugh from the Elder.

"There was once a time where you would say doing this would be as simple as eating a rock." The Elder's laughter turned into coughing before he cleared his throat. "Thanks to you, Spring has come to Goron Village, everyone is pleased."

"Darmani! Darmani! Darmani!" The Gorons began to chant their hero's name with Darmani's personality seemingly taking over as Jaune gave a confident look, happy to see them saved.

Though he knew that the blizzard will be back, Jaune was happy he did help them in this timeline. And it wasn't just him and Tatl that saved the Gorons. It was all possible because of Darmani, if the deceased Goron didn't pass on his power they wouldn't have been able to take Goht down.

In a way Darmani's death wasn't in vain because of that.

"Darmani I actually wanted to talk to you about something," The Elder said with Jaune now looking at him, curious to see what he wanted. "It's something that's been on my mind since you forced me to come back to the village."

"What is it?" Jaune asked with some concern.

"For many years I've been the protector of this tribe as its tribal patriarch but I'm getting too old for this," The Elder's tone had a hint of melancholy to it. "Your actions yesterday only proved that, which is why I need to step down and let a younger Goron take over… One who makes calm decisions, yet boasts courageous determination."

Jaune felt his eyes widen as he had a feeling on where this was going. "I don't thin-." He tried to get out but the Elder continued.

"The only one I can think of is you Darmani, there can be no other," The Elder said with the other Goron's cheering while Jaune felt a very deep drop in his stomach from what was happening. "Don't answer yet, take some time to think it over, perhaps in the Goron Race and then come talk to me."

With that said the Elder began to slowly walk away while Jaune was understandably dumbfounded by this new development.

* * *

"Jaune you need to stop freaking out." Tatl commented as they were now heading for the race track as Jaune kept muttering to himself.

"Stop-?! They just asked for me to be their leader, how can I not freak out?!" Jaune demanded giving her a look. "I wasn't expecting this! I mean I'm not a real Goron, so this is bad!"

"Why would it matter? They won't remember it," Tatl pointed out with Jaune grimacing. "You're just overthinking it right now."

"I-I guess." Jaune muttered as he did forget the whole rewinding time thing due to the bombshell that was dropped on him.

Seeing how he got silent, Tatl chuckled. "Though you would make for a pretty good patriarch for their tribe."

That earned her a confused look. "Me a leader? You have to be kidding."

Jaune didn't see himself leading anyone in the future, he was pretty sure he didn't have it in himself to do that.

"Why not, you have a knack for it," Tatl said not surprised that Jaune didn't think that about himself given how he's acted. "You did well with calming the Goron's after finding the Elder."

"That was Darmani's personality, not me." Jaune dismissed that claim rather easily.

"Okay then what about whenever you helped people and how they gave you their trust so easily in the span of three days?" Tatl tried that route, leaving for Jaune to stop in surprise. "Like when Kotake took you at your word that you would find her sister or when you gave Grog hope despite it being the last day. You do kind of draw people in and inspire them a bit."

"I-," Jaune went quiet thinking on that. "I never noticed."

He had no idea what to say to that.

"You even gave me hope because I thought it was useless in the beginning," Tatl confessed, seeing how Jaune was thinking on that. "You need to have more confidence in yourself."

That sounded oddly similar to the advice his Dad gave him about confidence, but Jaune had a feeling that Tatl meant confidence in a different way.

Their conversation stopped as they finally made it to the Race Track where they could see countless Goron's either stretching in preparation for the competition or filing into the makeshift stands to watch the competitors who had little Goron Children running around them, laughing as they enjoyed the warm air.

One child in particular rolled up to Jaune. "Darmi! I've been waiting for you," The Elder's Son greeted with a happy smile while Tatl barely hid in Jaune's hood. "Hey you're entering the race to aren't ya?"

Jaune gave a wordless nod making the kid give a gleeful laugh.

"I'll be cheering for you Darmi, you'll be a favorite to win!"

With that said the kid rolled off, leaving for Jaune to smile at how the kid had faith in him… Or rather in Darmani.

Jaune shook his head to focus and after waiting for a few minutes he stood among the other racers who looked ready, Tatl already flying away to keep hidden without risking falling out or getting sick while Jaune raced.

' _Just do what you did with Goht and you'll be fine._ ' Jaune told himself, though he winced. ' _Aside from rolling into the others that is._ '

He had this.

"Welcome to the 230th Annual Goron Derby Race!" A voice could be heard with Jaune looking up to see a lone Goron shouting over the cheering of the various others. "As always we have plenty of competitors from Darwin to Krane and even Darmani the Third, the winner will be awarded this bottle of Gold Dust, now remember I want a clean race between all of you, though knocking each other off course is allowed, keep it clean."

' _Oh so we can knock each other around._ ' Jaune was surprised by that right as the Goron continued.

"On your marks," Every Racer curled up with Jaune following a second too late, to make up for it however he began to roll in place, building up momentum as his Magic began to charge. "Get set… Go!"

The moment Go was said, all of the racers took off, but Jaune actually managed to launch ahead thanks to his burst of magic, gaining speed as he shot forward, his echolocation working overtime to map the track itself, while keeping an eye on the other racers that went to try and bump into him.

But even though Darmani's memories and reflexes were a big help to Jaune in this race, he was still inexperienced compared to the other racers who caught up just as easily with him swerving to avoid being hit, but losing the lead in the process.

Rounding the first bend, Jaune nearly hit a tree that he had to swerve around, unknowingly dodging an attempt to hit him with the culprit slamming into it, knocking himself out.

Using the ramps provided to pick up more speed, Jaune launched himself into the lead, jumping over another racer who immediately slammed into him ignoring the spikes he had making him spin, nearly falling to a lower ramp, but Jaune preserved and continued forward with him and this last racer neck to neck with the finishing line coming up.

Feeling his magic growing faint showing that he was over exerting himself, Jaune pushed it all into his rolling and managed to shoot ahead, barely hitting the finish line in first place, uncurling as he laid on his back panting in exhaustion while the crowd went wild at Darmani the Third winning the race.

As difficult as it was to focus and do this, Jaune will admit he had a lot of fun racing these other Gorons with him giving a hearty chuckle.

But on laying on his back, Jaune had a good view of the moon up in the sky staring down at him, reminding him of the impending doom once more and the thought of fun was erased from his mind.

He remained in that mood after being given the bottle of Gold Dust as he walked his way back to the Smithy, a contemplative look on his face.

 _ **~Night of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-Thirty-Six Hours Remain-**_

Once more without his sword, Jaune grimaced as he now sat in the Hot Spring water, the heat of it making his muscles tense up before he relaxed as they washed over the aching showing how much he needed something like this.

Currently he was only in a towel he borrowed from Zubora, his clothes folded off to the side wanting to relax this night while his sword was being upgraded.

"You coming in Tatl?" Jaune asked glancing up at his flying fairy friend who kept away from the water. "It's nice."

"I'm good Jaune, thanks." Tatl said showing she didn't really have any intentions of getting in the water.

"Suit yourself." Jaune said with a shrug before he glanced down to his side to see a scar from when Goht impaled him.

It seemed that the damage he takes in his Goron or Deku Form transfers over to his Human form and even with the amazing healing properties of the Red Potion, it would still leave scars and it wasn't the only one he had.

There were claw marks on his left shoulder from when he first fought some Wolfos and a jagged scar across his chest where his first fight with a Dinolfos managed to clip him.

Luckily he didn't seem to have any lasting damage, like when Odolwa broke his arm and the actual injuries themselves were fully healed, so they shouldn't really bother him all that much in the future.

But it was rather unnerving to see these scars as they showed how easily he could've died in this adventure of his.

' _How long before I try to attempt the next temple?_ ' Jaune thought to himself as he did want to try and free the last two Giants as quickly as possible he knew that he needed to take things slow.

His skills still need to be worked on because these Temples were becoming increasingly more difficult the further he got, the Woodfall one wasn't too bad but Snowhead really pushed him to his limit.

Although that could be because he didn't has Crocea Mors with him when he went in there. But he still had his Magic to work on, a new form to train up as while Darmani's memories and muscle memory got him far he needed to get used to fighting as a Goron even more.

And he had to train up his Deku form up a bit more. He'll worry about that in the next cycle, for now he's going to relax as much as he could.

After enjoying the peaceful silence, Jaune blinked as he remembered wanting to ask Tatl something that's been bothering him since yesterday.

So he asked.

"What do you look like when you aren't glowing?"

The silence got a bit more noticeable the second that question left Jaune's mouth as Tatl was suddenly staring at him, glowing a bit brighter. It took a few seconds for Jaune to realize that the extra glow was out of embarrassment.

"W-Where did that come from?!" Tatl asked, panic in her tone.

Jaune blinked, not seeing the problem. "It's just been bothering me, you keep glowing and I don't know what you look like without it." He said his confusion showing on his face.

"Do you go around without clothes in public?!"

"What does that have-?" Jaune went to ask only for a possibility to click in his head. "Wait you mean that-."

"No, asking a fairy to lower their glow is the same as asking someone to take their clothes off!" Tatl exclaimed with Jaune's face going red as he didn't know that.

"I swear I had no idea." Jaune said a bit panicked, not meaning to make this awkward.

Tatl just turned away, still glowing bright in embarrassment while Jaune looked down, chastened.

Eventually however Tatl broke the now awkward silence. "I know you didn't realize the meaning of that question, just don't ask that of any other fairy." She said with Jaune now giving her a relieved look.

"Done."

 _ **~Dawn of the Final Day~**_

 _ **-Twenty-Four Hours Remain-**_

"We kept you waiting," Zubora said with a huge smirk as he handed Jaune his newly upgraded sword that was in a different sheath than what he was used to. "But it's done, give it a look."

Unsheathing the sword, Jaune was greeted by a beautifully crafted blade that was infused with the golden dust that shined in the light flooding in from the window. There was still some silver patches around the gold that were diamond shapes with the blade itself being extended to give Jaune a bit more range. The hilt of the blade itself was changed to show a white grip with some red in it, the guards of the hilt pointing upwards giving it a more aesthetic feel to it.

Looking from the beautiful blade, Jaune saw the sheath was a dark red color and frowned as he realized it didn't turn into the shield, something that Zubora noticed.

"Oh don't worry we worked on your shield too, but it can't be turned into a sheath anymore," Zubora said with an apologetic look. "We changed too much for it to work like that."

"I understand." Jaune said with a sigh, sheathing the new sword before realizing that it was too long to be at his waist, so he secured it to his back.

That was when Gabora handed him the shield.

It was the same shape as before, only the outer edges was nothing but gold leaving only the middle part white in the form of a triangle, allowing for the Arc family symbol to still remain in the middle of the triangle.

"You won't find a weapon stronger than this very easily." Zubora explained to Jaune who gazed over the shield. "The gold dust strengthened your sword to be unbreakable and very sharp, it will never lose its edge. And with the rest of the dust on the edges of the shield it will double as a weapon, be careful of the sides."

"Amazing." Jaune whispered just imagining how he would be able to use it.

Zubora gave a hearty chuckle, watching as Jaune adjusted the shield to go across his back. "Nice to see you appreciate our work, if anyone asks where you got a masterpiece like that be sure to let them know it was us," He said as while they did this one for free to repay Jaune, he did want to make some business. "Use the Gilded Sword and Gilded Shield with pride."

Jaune gave a nod, his smile forced but he did plan to do that should they defeat Skull Kid-.

Wait Gilded Sword and Gilded Shield?

Okay it was obviously no longer Crocea Mors, but Jaune wasn't so sure about the name until he thought about it.

Gilded's meaning was attractive, yet deceptive which was what the sword in itself was with its appearance being amazing, most swords looking like that wouldn't be effective but he had a feeling that this sword is an exception. Gilded was also another word for Mask and given how Termina's Culture revolves around masks for different occasions and how much their society builds on it, it does make sense if one thinks about it enough.

* * *

 _ **~Night of the Final Day~**_

 _ **-Twelve Hours Remain-**_

Jaune was back in Clock Town, trying to get used to the new weight of his upgraded weapon on his back before he would restart the cycle.

"Well this was a productive cycle." Tatl said trying to sound upbeat despite the imminent destruction of the moon getting closer and closer.

"You're telling me." Jaune said shaking his head with some disbelief at everything that happened.

What should've been just freeing the second Giant turned into helping a spirit pass on to get a second transformation mask, getting an item to see through illusions, upgrading his sword and shield, winning a race and getting a second bottle in the process which meant he could have more potions, getting a spell to shoot fire arrows and getting bracelets that grant super strength.

Not that he was complaining because his already growing arsenal of gear just got bigger, but he was definitely going to wait a bit before the next Temple.

"So do you think I should go for more sword techniques?" Jaune asked curiously as he's itching to test out his new Gilded Sword. "It would help me get used to the new reach and weight."

"How about we just relax for a few cycles first?" Tatl suggested with Jaune blinking in surprise. "Both of us could use the time to unwind."

Jaune had a nagging suspicion this had something to do with him having nightmares, but he didn't argue.

Perhaps some relaxing would do him some good.

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

 _ **Finally got this chapter finished after two flipping months and man that's a lot of reviews, this might be a long end of chapter session.**_

 _ **I can't believe it took me this long to do it, especially with how I'm pretty sure the chapter in itself could be much better. I need to try and do things better with my stories, along with fixing things in my personal life but that's another can of worms I'm not opening here.**_

 _ **Anyways we finally finished up with Snowhead Mountain so Jaune is halfway through Termina right now and yes I replaced the Powder Keg with the Golden Bracelets, I figured it would help separate this from the game a bit more because honestly who in their right minds would go through the testing phase of the Powder Keg? Speaking of which Jaune's Gear list is also updated to keep up with the story.**_

 _ **Sorry for the race not being too interesting but I couldn't think of how to make it more interesting with what I had to work with from the game, heck naming some of the other racers took too much time in itself.**_

 _ **And yes Crocea Mors is now officially the Gilded Sword because that sword is awesome in itself and Jaune was in need of a good upgrade.**_

 _ **Alright I should probably answer the reviews so I can post this, but before I do the poll for either Epona or the Master Cycle is still up so if you haven't voted this is your last chance.**_

 _ **Rmarcano321: By that do you mean in Termina or in Remnant? I'm not sure I can answer that though without spoilers.**_

 _ **StallionWolf: Hahaha, yeah those transcripts might as well be true with the experience that Jaune has and will gain in the future. Though he might draw attention for being too skilled for his age at some point.**_

 _ **Maelaeran: Thanks, it's good to hear I did better with the Snowhead Temple in terms of showing off what was going on, I still need to work on Jaune going through Temples though. The banter is always fun to type but the damage to their psyche this journey has is the true masterpiece of that chapter.**_

 _ **Dragon lord Syed 101: Thank you and I do plan to base Zelda off another version of her, just haven't decided which one yet. Yeah Team RWBY and the rest of JNPR will be a bit more impressed with this Jaune due to his arsenal and growing skills by the time he gets to Beacon, he won't be the butt of the joke as he is at times in canon. Pft just imagining their faces when they learn he doesn't have aura would be amazing. Hm I could see Ruby having a bit of a crush on him due to all of that, especially with talking to him about weapons given the amount he will have.**_

 _ **Enumeaelish666: Thanks, I figured having each transformation act differently would bring more to the story as the Deku is childish and the Goron is brash given the spirits personality combined with Jaunes. I'm not making any promises about Romance, it might happen or it might not but only if I feel it makes sense, it won't be an instant 'I love you' type of romance because that's unrealistic and ruins the characters a bit in my opinion. Heheh, it's good that you caught on to the magic scroll wording about it not only applying to arrows. That's a good idea for a Great Fairy in Remnant, but I need to think more on it.**_

 _ **ThatOneRandomDude: Yeah, given everything that's happened so far I think it's believable for Jaune to deal with that phase in Termina, the fact that it brings the confrontation to the story is an added bonus.**_

 _ **Razmire: Honestly I always enjoyed it whenever I fought Goht in the game with everything going on, not so much in the remake where the eye is added. Hopefully the fight in this chapter was good, but I think I did better with Odolwa, not sure, oh and sorry for the wait.**_

 _ **Joseyskywalker02: Thanks I'm happy that the chapters were enjoyable, especially with how the magic arrows work in this story. Still Jaune using his semblance to enhance his magic a bit more? Now that would be interesting.**_

 _ **Zeldawolffang: Yup, he's certainly making progress throughout Termina. Two more temples and he'll be ready for Majoras.**_

 _ **Zathol: I know what you mean, but the Stone Tower is worse compared to Snowhead, now that one will be a pain in the ass to type. Yeah I don't see how anyone wouldn't have nightmares going through the events of Majora's Mask, especially with the fear of failing being buried down. Pft, I can't help but imagine Tatl carrying a needle now, thanks for that image. Yeah, planning things out more would help, especially with the amount of risks involved, but the Great Fairies would be able to give out good advice for a serious scene I'll have to look into that. Haha I'm happy that you caught that little tidbit with the magic scrolls, it adds a bit more to the story once it's deciphered that way, expect for it to be shown at a later date. Hope you enjoyed the boss fight, it might be one of the easiest but it's also one of the most fun in the game.**_

 _ **Reaper4425: Yeah it will, problem is thinking of how to use Tingle in a serious manner, I'll think of something. I am saying nothing about Magic Armor or Red/Blue Tunics as that would lead to spoiler territory, but yeah Jaune would appreciate those types of gear.**_

 _ **Yo: Yeah I'm still learning with run on sentences, sorry about that.**_

 _ **The Real Hell Fire: Yeah Jaune did complain quite a bit in the beginning though I think anyone in his position at that particular time would, can't say anything about him sucking because I wanted to give him growth but I'm happy that you're enjoying the story after those facts. As for your questions a lot of them I can't answer because it would spoil a lot but I can answer the one about the Triforce of Courage, remember how his hand glowed when he fell in Chapter 01? That was a shard of it taking hold as his journey began. Just a shard of it, the full piece will come in much later. Also Jaune is actually a descendent of Link, whether or not he's a reincarnation will be answered in the future.**_

 _ **SirKhakingtonIV: I… I honestly don't know if I will use the Hero's Shade or not, the temptation to do so is there but the Hero's Shade was only used because of the Hero of Time's regret before they were soothed by teaching the Hero of Twilight, so I don't think it would fit in with Jaune's journey here.**_

 _ **X3runner: Heheh not going to answer about the Great Fairy Sword as of yet. Yeah the side effects to being in a time loop suck, luckily Jaune has Tatl with him and some people remember it (Great Fairy/Giants/Kaepora) but his reaction to people in Remnant after Termina would be an interesting thing to type.**_

 _ **Commandosquirrel: Nope, Jaune will have his own adventure in Remnant when he gets back.**_

 _ **Legomanny: Hm, using Cia and Lana in a way similar to Caroline and Justine would be interesting, especially if it helps point Jaune in the direction of the Temples and Master Sword in Remnant. Not saying anything about Cia being a love interest because I haven't decided as of yet.**_

 _ **MangaG: Mask of Truth with the Lens of Truth, that's actually an interesting idea, especially if Jaune does get the mask. Yeah I can see the idea of Jaune upgrading his armor like his weapon being crucial, it would give him an edge, I'll have to think on that one a bit.**_

 _ **Redacted987: Honestly I see making someone feel for a story as a huge accomplishment, so I'm happy about that. I might be doing good with this story but I'm sure there are others with better crossover stories then me.**_

 _ **Donkike07: Yeah, the stress would really affect anyone in that position, to be perfectly honest I'm surprised it took me this long to type the effect. Don't worry the Ranch is coming up but yeah that part of the journey would be relaxing if you disregard the problems they have. I can see Jaune staying on the ranch for a couple of cycles to relax. *Snickers* Man that scene with Cremia is going to be amazing to type due to the age difference between Link and Jaune.**_

 _ **Diaconsecond: Thank you, I am sorry for the long wait.**_

 _ **Voltrasin: That was where I got the inspiration from in giving his other forms their own weapon.**_

 _ **MMBrowsing: The length of the Review is fine, but I'll only be answering the questions that won't spoil anything. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch that Jaune is related to Zelda as well given how it's possible for Link and Zelda to get together in certain games if you ignore the politics of it, but even if he is he won't be getting any of Sheik's Smash Bro's attacks because those would go to Zelda to give her time to shine when she's introduced. I knew about Grimm Eclipse but I didn't know Jaune was a playable character in it, it's cool they have him fight like Link which makes this even better in my opinion. No Jaune will keep the ears, who says he can't use magic and aura when the time comes? But it makes sense to hide his magic and some of his gear unless necessary as he wouldn't want to bring that type of attention to himself after he finishes in Termina. The Sheikah Slate will not make an appearance, I love that item in the game but I don't think it would really work in this game, plus it could easily be stolen if you think about it. I don't know if Jaune will get a Boomerang, probably in Remnant if I change my mind but not in Termina. I have at least ten percent of a plan for the Gods of Remnant, I just need to think on it more, thank goodness that they won't come in for a long time giving me plenty of time to think it over. I don't think Jaune will have a Gerudo Mask, but perhaps a Rito one, I haven't decided yet.**_

 _ **LordNoobReview: Wow this has to be the longest Review I have ever had that gives me a lot to think about, thank you. But I won't be answering everything for the sake of spoilers, just some of it sorry about that. I can answer about Humans and Hylians being compatible due to the fact that Humans actually make an appearance in Twilight Princess, I believe the answer was in that game. But there are plenty of hints to Hyrule hidden in Remnant, mostly Grimm Infested areas or hidden by Hylian Magic. Yeah if the White Fang ever learn of Hylians they would use them as a Martyr if Humans were the reason behind their disappearance, though they would also be surprised by how the other Hylian Races get along in response to Humans and Faunus. Don't worry Jaune is the only RWBY character that is a Zelda character in this fic and Ganondorf isn't responsible for Salem or the Grimm, while I did entertain the idea I have too much respect for Ganondorf/Ganon to do any of that and he will be a HUGE threat in the future, be sure of that. I do agree with Tatl staying in Termina for those reasons you listed, but I have been entertaining the idea of having Jaune be able to go there every now and then, just haven't decided yet. I'll actually be having him do the Zelda stuff by himself without the others really knowing and I think most of the stuff that will change will start around Volume 03, I'm still trying to work out just what I want to change and how it would affect the story. Interesting idea on Jaune hiding the ears, but Idk if the beanie thing would be accepted, most schools don't let students where a hat and I don't think anyone did in Beacon-in class that is-so would that work? Oobleck being the companion? That wasn't what I had planned but with his character it would work for Jaune looking for certain ruins, though how he would try to keep the truth from the man remains to be decided. While Jinn is all-seeing I don't see how she would be able to know about Ancient Hyrule if it's way before her time… The Grimm not attacking the Goddesses creations unless attacked first, now that's an interesting approach, I'll have to think on that one a bit. I can't answer anything about the Gods of Remnant as I have a bit of a plan for how they came into power against the Goddesses, but saying anything would spoil too much, sorry. Huh, the Song of Healing affecting Ozpin? Now that's an interesting question, it could given the number of lives he's lived but I don't really know the answer to that, interesting thing to think about. But given his experiences with Gods and Magic he would definitely be able to tell that something's off with Jaune. Hahaha I am looking forward to typing the interactions between Jaune, Romani and Cremia. Hmm, I need to think more on the Gerudo Pirates because of the arrow thing, I mean it would cement how dark this story is with Jaune killing them, I mean they would come back in the next cycle, but do I want Jaune to go that far or try to find another way?**_

 _ **PatRox: Haha yeah, someone had to brave the cold temple and thanks I'm happy the mask influence was so well received along with the hammer. The fact that Jaune feels like he belongs in Termina when someone reads this shows that the story is good, so I'm glad about that as I did have my doubts about how well this story would be in the beginning.**_


	11. Triggered Memories

_**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or Legend of Zelda so please no suing!**_

 _ **Summary: Jaune was off on his way to Vale to enter Beacon and start his journey to become a Huntsmen, however on his way he was robbed of a family heirloom and ended up chasing the thief to a world known as Termina. Now stuck in a cycle of repeating three days, will he end up saving the world or will all of Termina die? … He should've stayed home.**_

 _ **Chapter 11: Triggered Memories**_

 _ **~Night of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-Thirty-Six Hours Remain-**_

Jaune gritted his teeth as he was locked in a wooden sword struggle against the Swordsman who looked impressed with the skill that Jaune had with a blade. Tatl was currently out and about in Clock Town, possibly looking into information for the Ocean as that was where they intended to go next after a bit more training.

It's been a few cycles since he and Tatl freed the second giant and after one cycle of rest, Jaune found himself bored to death. So much that he realized that he was so used to doing something, whether it was training, exploring or going through the temples that he found himself unable to do something as simple as resting for any of the three days.

At this rate, he'll be unable to sit still at any time in Remnant whenever he gets back and that had Jaune worried.

So he kept himself busy by getting to know the Town a bit more.

He met a weird Postman who seemed to really love his job, a pair of twins that did nothing but dance. A rude guy who seemed to be in charge of a band that looked like they weren't coming at all to the Carnival of Time.

Jaune kept writing events that transpired in the Bombers Notebook, making a bit of a schedule of what each person did on what day.

He'll admit it was kind of creepy, but it kept him busy.

There were even rumors of stuff he wrote down to look into later to sate his boredom while training.

Some sort of cursed house that was hidden in the swamp along with a fishing hole and rumors of an archery game hosted by Koume of all people.

Probably won't do that but he had it written down… He also wrote down the lottery numbers for the three days as a way to easily get Rupees whenever he needed them.

Sure it was cheating, but he wouldn't be keeping them when he rewinds time, so it didn't really matter.

"Good form, but you're leaning to your left too much," The Swordsman said before kicking Jaune's feet out from underneath him. "You show a lot of promise, especially with knowing the Shield Attack and Ending Blow, I commend whoever taught you them."

Jaune chuckled as the Swordsman helped him up. "Yeah, my teacher was pretty good." He said feeling sad that the Swordsman didn't remember, but he wasn't bothered by it as much as he once was.

He was used to it by now.

"However you still have much to learn," The Swordsman gripped his wooden blade in anticipation. "So I'll teach you a new skill if you wish."

Jaune gave an eager nod, always up for improving his swordsmanship.

"Now attack me, but follow my movements carefully." The Swordsman said with Jaune lunging at him.

Even though he knew that this would most likely end up with him on the ground again, he was willing to take that to add to his skills.

To his surprise, he saw the Swordsman do a side jump, dodging his swing, followed by a roll behind, Jaune who was too slow to turn, when the Swordsman shot to his feet with a spin attack that sent Jaune flying.

"As important as your skill with the Shield Attack is, you'll at times face opponents who are protected with very thick heavy armor, but they leave their back's unprotected at times," The Swordsman explained as Jaune jumped to his feet with a grin. "With that said, the Back Slice is a very important skill to know for those types of situations."

"I see." Jaune muttered before he remembered the first day he trained with the Swordsman he actually did a variation of the Back Slice, only it was just by dodging.

Yet he never tried to do that with any other enemy.

So he got ready and when the Swordsman lunged at Jaune, he perfectly mirrored the dodging portion and managed to hit the Swordsman by jumping up with a spin to his feet.

The Swordsman was too much in shock to even think about dodging and was thrown by the force of the hit across the room.

"Sir?!" Jaune asked in a bit of a panic not expecting that, but he was surprised when the man began to laugh.

"Well I never," He said pushing himself back up with a wince. "A perfect Back Slice, on the first try?! That's never happened before. Are you certain that you never learned that?"

"Positive." Jaune said, feeling relieved that the man was okay, but proud at actually pulling the move off on the first try compared to before when it took him a whole day to learn how to dodge properly.

Though having the Swordsman swing a wooden sword at him certainly helped motivate him at the time.

"You will definitely go far with your skills, you just need to practice more before we can have a full on spar." The Swordsman said with a sad look in his eyes. "I don't have anything more to teach you though, it's a shame I would've loved to have you for an apprentice."

' _N-No more to teach me?_ ' Jaune thought in shock.

The man already taught Jaune everything he knew?

"But I thought you knew a ton of techniques." Jaune found himself saying before he could stop himself.

"I never said that," The Swordsman sounded wistful when he answered. "I might be a sword master, but there was no teacher for me but books and scrolls on certain skills which is how the person who taught you must've learned them. There were countless sword skills in the past, however they were lost when the Ikana Kingdom fell many centuries ago."

' _Ikana Kingdom?_ ' Jaune thought actually hearing of that place in his study of Termina.

According to the history books, Clock Town rose when the Kingdom fell, as a huge war took place there with hundreds of people dying, the survivors fleeing to take sanctuary before building the town.

It does make sense that a lot was lost in that type of situation and while Jaune was saddened at not learning any more sword skills, he didn't let that bother him.

He already learned a lot and the fact that this man self taught himself these moves was impressive. And now he knew the exact same skills, he just needs more experience before he could call himself a Sword Master.

Perhaps there were techniques in Remnant he could learn when he gets back to add to his skills?

… Or perhaps he might be able to find something in the Ruins of the Ikana Kingdom?

It is in the Canyon where one of the last two Giants remain, so he'll be heading there eventually. He'll just have to keep his eyes peeled whenever he gets there.

* * *

"Wait, so the Ocean's temperature is rising?" Jaune asked in surprise not expecting that as he met up with Tatl near the Stock Pot Inn.

"Yeah, with the temperature rising, the life in the Ocean is being killed off and with the water being murky, it's dangerous to travel there." Tatl explained with Jaune grimacing at hearing that.

A Poisoned Swamp. A Never ending Blizzard in the Mountain and now a soon to be boiling Ocean?

What would the Canyon be like?

Shaking that thought from his head, Jaune tried to think of a way to traverse the Ocean, perhaps he could find a ship or if it comes down to it he could build a raft?

Though he would need practice on that front. Luckily he has all the time in the world with his situation.

Jaune glanced up at the sky, ignoring the moon due to much needed practice and just stared at the stars.

"So, do you want to check out that cursed house in the Swamp?" Jaune asked curiously with a grin, his eyes lighting up at the idea of exploring a bit, being a seasoned adventurer at this point.

"I swear you're just looking for trouble now." Tatl muttered to herself while Jaune laughed.

"As long as it's not connected to the Temple we're fine." Jaune reminded her as the temples were the only place they actually faced true danger compared to other places.

"Heh, fair enough." Tatl relented knowing that he was right in that respect.

With it going quiet, Jaune did something he's been doing regularly since the adventure in Snowhead.

Going through his gear to make sure everything was in order.

Though his eyes lingered on the Deku and Goron Mask the most.

It was probably nothing, but Jaune has been having a rather scary thought about them.

Out of all of his masks they were the only Transformation Mask, but with how the Goron Mask came to be with the soul of Darmani, he was wondering if the same held true for the Deku Mask?

The fact that it had memories of where the Woodfall Temple was and how it changed his personality supported that, but if it was the same thing, that meant that Skull Kid's manipulation throughout Termina resulted in the death of a young child.

It was only a theory right now, but if it was true then Jaune had no idea how he would be able to respond to it. It would however explain the actions of the Deku Butler when Jaune wore this around him.

… Great, now he's depressed.

He was actually considering putting on the Deku Mask because the more he used it, the more he saw that the childish mindset it had actually helped cheer him up a bit, no matter how dark this journey got.

It reminded him of being a kid again, one full of hopes and dreams, playing make believe of being a hero, holding a stick just like how one would a sword while his older sisters indulged him for all these years. An innocent time that he could barely remember now.

Even if it was forced on him and he was humiliated by it during the first cycle, Jaune found himself grateful in a funny way for meeting the spirit inside of the Deku Mask.

Jaune chuckled catching Tatl's attention. "Something funny?" Tatl asked curiously.

"No, just thinking of the first cycle," Jaune answered finding how he acted in the beginning both amusing and mortifying. "How long has it been?"

Tatl hummed in thought before flying around Jaune. "To be honest, I don't know," She said in a bit of a regretful tone. "It's certainly been awhile."

That it has.

Putting away the transformation masks, Jaune forced himself to smile.

No matter what, all he could do was move on, it won't be easy and no doubt the rest of this journey might push him past his breaking point, but when that time came he won't be alone.

Just like that, the smile became a real one when he looked at Tatl, who glowed in confusion from how he was acting while he pulled the hood of his hoodie up, something he's started doing as of late.

Instead of continuing the conversation, Jaune just jerked his head to the side before he took off running. "Come on, if we go now we should make it to the swamp by morning!"

Surprised by that act, Tatl took off flying after him. "Can't you just teleport there?!" She asked not getting why he wanted to get there on foot.

"Where's the fun in that?" Jaune returned with a laugh. "Who knows what we might find on the way!"

As he ran, he couldn't help but be amazed at how something so simple as laughing felt great.

 _ **~Dawn of the Third Day~**_

 _ **-Twenty-Four Hours Remain-**_

"Have to admit, this does look a bit creepy." Jaune commented with the Bunny Hood on his head, using it to at least have some decent speed throughout the Swamp.

It looked like some sort of beehive like building if he was being honest and Jaune was surprised by how close to the Deku Palace this was considering he could literally see the gated fence from here.

While he contemplated that, Tatl flew towards the sign before tensing up. "Skulltula House?!"

That made Jaune blink as he didn't know it was called that, he just heard about it being cursed.

"Er you want to wait out here?" Jaune offered knowing how much she disliked Skulltulas.

Honestly he wouldn't blame her since he wouldn't want to go anywhere near something that would try to eat him.

But Tatl shook her head, not letting her fear of them stop her from accompanying Jaune through the place.

After all, someone had to make sure he didn't take insane risks.

The creepiness factor of the Skulltula House went up as they entered, but Jaune didn't seem to mind it considering it reminded him of the Woodfall Temple-why was a dog here?

Seeing him, the dog barked and ran over, panting with his tail wagging exuberantly.

Though he was hesitant, no doubt remembering the last dog he encountered as a Deku Scrub, Jaune reached down and rubbed the dog's head earning a whine of affection from him as he pressed his head into Jaune's hand.

"Hey boy, what are you doing out here by yourself?" Jaune asked curiously a bit worried before a voice was heard.

"He's mine." Looking towards the voice, expecting to see a Terminan or at least a Deku, Jaune immediately got into action with drawing his sword at seeing a Skulltula with some sort of red and white mask covering the front.

The red and white had his mind flashback to seeing the Grimm that one of his sisters dispatched with easily while Tatl quickly put some distance between her and the Skulltula as it was near her.

Seeing Jaune with his weapon, the Skulltula did something he didn't expect.

It panicked.

"W-Wait I'm not a monster, please don't kill me." The Skulltula spoke with Jaune pausing before he heard the dog whine as if pleading the same thing.

Against his better judgement, Jaune sheathed his weapon, giving the Skulltula a chance as he's never seen a talking one before, while Tatl made sure to be behind Jaune.

"You're seriously listening to that thing?!" Tatl asked in shock. "I'm not risking being eaten."

"Do they normally talk?" Jaune asked with Tatl going quiet at that. "Then something isn't right."

"Because I'm not a Skulltula," The being said catching their attention, his tone sounding immensely relieved. "The Spider's curse made me this way, I've been stuck here ever since I've been cursed."

"... Was the one who cursed you an imp wearing a purple mask?" Jaune asked, a deadpanned look going across his face as the cursed man moved up and down as if saying yes. "I don't know why I'm still surprised at this point."

Tatl sighed in agreement. "At this point it would be a surprise if he wasn't responsible in some way to something going on around here."

Looking back at the cursed man, Jaune thought about what to do before he snapped his fingers in realization.

This man was cursed just like he was in the beginning. So there was one song to help him.

With that in mind, Jaune pulled the Ocarina out and began to play the Song of Healing.

Needless to say the cursed man moved a bit, confused by why this teenager pulled an Ocarina out. "W-What are you-?" He began, only to twitch as he felt weird.

A second later the spider was gone as the man himself looked normal enough, his face covered by a white mask with the red lines and yellow eye on it, wearing a sleeveless green shirt and pants.

"I-I'm back to normal?" The guy asked in surprise, not expecting that before laughing. "I'm normal again!"

Jumping in joy, the man looked right at Jaune who put the Ocarina away, happy that it worked.

"Thank you, I owe you a lot." The man took the mask off and handed it over to Jaune. "I know it's not much, but please accept this."

Jaune smiled politely at the guy as he accepted the mask before the guy ran out cheering, the dog following him.

"How did you know the Song of Healing would work?" Tatl asked once the man was gone.

"I guessed." Jaune answered with a shrug. "It worked for me when I was a Deku and for that Kamaro guy, so I figured it would work here."

Pocketing the mask, Jaune turned to fully explore the Skulltula House.

…

"Well that was pointless." Tatl muttered with them leaving after finding nothing inside of the Skulltula House.

"I don't know, we did get a mask, any idea what this one is?" Jaune asked pulling it out as Tatl gave it a curious look.

"I-... I have no clue what type of mask this one is," Tatl hummed in thought before ringing as an idea came to her. "Perhaps the Masked Salesman will know?"

Jaune hesitated, unsure about approaching the man as despite how the man did help him regain his human form there was something about him that had Jaune uneasy.

But he forced that down as information was more important.

* * *

"I see." The Masked Salesman had a curious look while Jaune showed him the new mask he gained. "This is quite an interesting mask, unfortunately it's not the one I'm looking for."

"I know, but I want to know if you know what mask this is," Jaune said relieved that the man wasn't freaking out like he did last time. "I'm still working towards getting the mask but a lot of stuff has been happening."

The Salesman gazed at Jaune scrutinizingly before nodding. "Indeed it has," He said as if he knew exactly what was going on with the blonde. "You've made quite a bit of progress since we last spoke. As for this mask, it's the Mask of Truth."

"Mask of Truth?" Tatl whispered in confusion before asking louder. "Is it related to the Lens of Truth?"

"Ah you have the Lens? Well done young one," The Salesman smiled widely, praising the teen. "Though they are powered the same, the Mask has different abilities."

Jaune waited for the man to continue before sighing. "Such as?"

"With it on you can see into the minds and hearts of people and animals, using it will make them unable to lie to you," The Masked Salesman's explanation made Jaune stiffen up as he realized the power this particular mask had. "Quite frightening isn't it? To know that your own thoughts are at risk when faced with a mask such as this."

After a moment of silence Jaune spoke. "Any type of power is frightening if looked at long enough, it's how it's used that makes the difference."

That was something he learned over the course of his journey.

The Song of Healing has the frightening power of sealing souls into masks, but it can be used to put them to rest instead. And people could take advantage of the Song of Time to do whatever they want with no consequences.

Jaune himself has felt the urge to take advantage of the latter every now and then just do anything he wanted, but he ignored it because of the bigger threat with Skull Kid.

And because he didn't want to fall down that path. He can't afford to let himself misuse the Ocarina like that after everything that's happened.

The Salesman just smiled at Jaune. "Indeed."

 _ **~Dawn of the Second Day~**_

 _ **-Forty-Eight Hours Remain-**_

It's been five cycles since that conversation with the Masked Salesman and Jaune was currently a Deku, practicing his flight a bit more, having increased the time he could stay in the air with quite a bit of practice after finding some Deku Flowers out in the Field.

As he's been practicing whatever he could, he decided to spend the next few days working on both the Deku and Goron form to make them more efficient in case he needed to rely on those forms when the time came.

Plus his control over magic was also getting better as a Scrub due to how he can make the Snot Bubbles and shoot them at a quicker rate and as a Goron he could make the spikes while rolling last longer.

That had the added benefit of his Human form having more control, especially with the Gilded Sword being used as a focus to help.

"Vhoa!" Jaune cried out as the flowers he was using to fly gave out and he landed on his butt, wincing a bit.

"Hm, you were up there for two minutes, that's an improvement." Tatl commented while Jaune got up, rubbing his wooden butt.

"Dat's good," Jaune's hole quirked to show a grin. "But I vant to make it five minutes eventually."

"Why five minutes?" Tatl asked flying around Jaune curiously while he took the Deku Mask off. "Wouldn't that be too much time in the air?"

"I'd rather not take any chances," Jaune said rolling his shoulders, feeling them pop. "Especially if I see any bottomless floors again."

Falling to your death after surviving the craziness of the Woodfall and Snowhead Temple would be a pretty pathetic way to go in Jaune's opinion, so he wants to ensure it doesn't happen.

Plus he enjoyed flying now that he didn't seem to have his Motion Sickness. Thank you Magic!

Wait would it still work when he's Human or does he still have Motion Sickness as a Human when flying? He'll have to see about that but he's really hoping it's gone.

Someday though he might be able to have his Deku Form be able to fly even longer as the book he read on Deku Biology showed that adult Dekus could stay in the air for hours at a time if they need to.

And the Deku Butler was able to fly with just an umbrella back when Jaune purified the Swamp during their race, so there was so much potential that Jaune has yet to tap into.

But that did leave the question on if the Deku Form would age or not.

Jaune really wanted the answer to that, but he wouldn't be able to find out for quite awhile.

' _I should look into getting a weapon for this form._ ' Jaune thought as his Deku Form was the only one weaponless if you didn't count the head spike he had going on.

The Goron Form could use the Iron Hammer and was very efficient in hand to hand while his Human Form could use just about every weapon he has on him.

"So I see you're training?"

That single voice made both Jaune and Tatl freeze in shock as they turned to see Skull Kid looking down at them.

Silence descended around them while both Jaune and Tatl were completely dumbfounded.

This has never happened before.

Skull Kid tilted his head to the side before he began to chuckle. "You looked shocked."

Suddenly he was right next to Jaune with the teen quickly putting some distance between them. "Vot do you vant?!" He demanded with his words becoming a bit of a jumbled mess in his panic.

Skull Kid looked at him with a tilted head. "You certainly learned to talk fast."

Just like that Jaune remembered that Skull Kid didn't know about the time loops and he knew he couldn't let on.

If Skull Kid learned about them, chances were that he would kill them without a second thought and he can't let that happen when they're only halfway done.

But why was he suddenly talking to them?

Looking at Skull Kid, Jaune realized something he never considered.

The whole time he assumed Skull Kid would stay in the Clock Tower for the remaining three days, of course he wouldn't. Just like everyone else Skull Kid most likely had a schedule he followed and he accidentally interfered with it by being here.

"Where's Tael?!" Tatl suddenly got in Skull Kid's face, worried at not seeing her brother with him.

Instead of just killing her or slapping her away, Skull Kid just idly poked Tatl away with his finger. "Man when did you get so demanding Tatl?" He asked in a childish tone. "I don't know where he is currently, what do I look like, his keeper?"

A tone so unlike the last time they conversed. It was as if he was just playing around, like this is a game and that the world wasn't ending. But from what Jaune knew, Skull Kid only saw the inhabitants of Termina as well as Jaune himself as nothing more than toys to torment and then to kill when he's bored of them.

Skull Kid then tilted his head. "Speaking of which, when did you two get so chummy with each other?"

While Tatl spluttered at that, Jaune tensed.

This was his chance.

He could end this right now by getting that mask off. All of the nightmares. All of the suffering. If he gets that mask off, it would be over.

He was already moving before he finished his thoughts, lunging at him, but Skull Kid seemed to be expecting that as he idly moved out of the way and grabbed Jaune out of the air.

"Now that was rude, can't you see I'm conversing with an old friend?" Skull Kid asked only to receive a Snot Bubble to the face making him gag as he threw Jaune quite the distance away. "Oh that does it."

Readying an energy bolt, Skull Kid lazily shot it at Jaune showing he wasn't taking him seriously, while said blonde had flashbacks to Tael dying, but he quickly reacted by taking the Deku Mask off and blocking it with the Gilded Shield.

Skull Kid tensed at seeing that. "You already broke the curse?" He asked in a curious fashion. "This might actually be fun."

' _Why is he acting so different?_ ' Jaune thought unsheathing his sword with Skull Kid taking note of how different his weapon looked, seeing that Jaune has been busy.

' _Interesting, how much has he actually accomplished in a day?_ ' Skull Kid thought with a smirk, readying himself.

"Jaune we need to get out of here." Tatl flew to him, hissing in his ear.

"If I pull the Ocarina out, he'll know something is up," Jaune whispered back not wanting it to get stolen again.

Skull Kid didn't waste anymore time as he shot at Jaune who swung at him only to have the sword go through an after-image. The blond barely recognized that right before he heard energy crackling behind him leaving for him to quickly turn around actually pulling off the Shield Attack to knock the energy bolt back at Skull Kid.

"You're good," Skull Kid was now frowning when he ducked, the energy flying past him. "Something's not right, you shouldn't be this good."

After all he clearly remembered how pitiful the blonde was before he cursed him, yet here he was holding his own, even if Skull Kid was admittedly holding back to have some fun.

Jaune tensed, knowing this was bad.

"Still no matter how good you've gotten you know you can't win." Just like that his tone changed to how he was the last time they met. "You only have one day left after all."

"Just like I said before I'll stop you!" Jaune exclaimed without thinking and that made Skull Kid pause.

"Before?"

Jaune's eyes widened at his slip.

Crap, why did he say that?!

"Jaune you idiot." Tatl hissed while Skull Kid held his head feeling a slight headache.

Before?

' _I von't let you!_ '

' _I'll stop you._ '

Just like that, images of him glancing down at the Deku form of this teenager while holding the Ocarina flashed through his head.

The Ocarina… Shouldn't he have it right now?

Glancing down at his hand where it should be, Skull Kid idly clenched it in thought.

"Wait." Skull Kid muttered looking at Jaune in a tensed fashion as if reevaluating him before placing a hand on his mask, his head pounding as images flashed. "We fought before… Tomorrow we did. But that's impossible."

' _The memories are coming back to him?!_ ' Jaune had no clue that would happen.

It's never happened before.

Slowly he remembered and the eyes on the mask began to glow ominously. "What are you?" He demanded in a cold tone, no longer playing around.

He became a blur with Jaune barely putting the shield up to block a punch that nearly sent him flying. His arms ached from that hit, showing that if he didn't have the Power Bracelets Skull Kid would've broken his arm.

Seeing as how the block actually stunned Skull Kid, Jaune quickly retaliated with a swing of his sword, actually cutting Skull Kid who barely dodged it, now holding his side, seeing Jaune as an immediate threat to his plans.

He made a connection as more memories flooded his head after Jaune got his Ocarina back in the first cycle.

He remembered feeling the swamp being purified, but he laughed at the futile gesture that Jaune wouldn't be able to stop him.

Then again he felt the Blizzard on Snowhead being stopped on the second day but like before he laughed it off because he didn't remember the swamp.

"You're cheating." Skull Kid whispered as dark energy began to encompass him, the force of the energy making Jaune take a step back as he felt cold just by looking at it.

It was like staring into an abyss, he could barely breathe.

Skull Kid took solace in the fact that he could see Jaune's fear, but he was angry. No beyond angry.

Skull Kid was pissed.

This boy was somehow rewinding time, most likely with the Ocarina. Taking as much time as he needed until things went the way he wanted and he had two Giants free. Somehow this insignificant Human survived for so long without Skull Kid noticing, probably laughing behind his back the whole time.

No more waiting.

Looking up, Skull Kid screamed no longer caring for toying with Jaune as raw power began to course out of him.

He was going to make the Moon fall right now.

Seeing what he was doing, Jaune quickly pulled out the Ocarina only for Skull Kid to fire another blast that he had to dodge as it impacted the ground creating an explosion.

"Not this time!" Skull Kid hissed at Jaune as the shock wave of the explosion knocked him off his feet showing that he was no longer holding back.

That was proven when his eyes glowed as lasers fired.

"Lasers?!" Jaune shouted managing to block them with his shield as they were reflected, leaving a trail of fire in the ground. "Now he has lasers?!"

"Please tell me you have a plan!" Tatl pleaded looking up to see the Moon was already beginning to break orbit.

"For now it's not dying!" Jaune shouted back at how quickly this escalated and cursing himself for his lapse of judgement.

In his rush to end this he might've just doomed Termina, this was proof that he needed to free the last two giants before confronting Skull Kid because he was barely keeping up.

Skull Kid began to teleport around Jaune until he was suddenly in front of him, kicking up right at his chin, sending him flying into the air right before teleporting above Jaune with his hands glowing but Jaune blocked it with his shield only for the Ocarina to get knocked out of his hand and go flying across the field.

That distracted Jaune long enough for Skull Kid to fire another laser with it going right through his shoulder as the smell of burning flesh began to assault Jaune's nose right before Skull Kid hit him with enough force to practically shatter his armor and break two ribs as he was sent into the ground, rolling towards the hollow log where he slammed into it hard enough to crack it.

Coughing up some blood, Jaune got up only for Skull Kid to begin teleporting again.

Knowing he didn't have much time, he quickly put on the Goron Mask and managed to grab him out of the air before slamming him into the log, breaking that part of it.

Skull Kid only gave a creepy chuckle, showing how little that hurt him, actually having the time of his life now that he didn't have to worry about Jaune rewinding time with that Ocarina.

"A Goron Form? You're full of surprises!" Raw power coursed off of him, the force of it blasting Jaune back. "Show me more!"

Instead of landing, he just curled up into a ball and rolled away from Skull Kid, using his echolocation to try and find the Ocarina.

The Moon was getting much closer, they barely had a minute before it would hit.

Jaune barely found it and grabbed it, ripping the Goron Mask off only to jump back, doing a back flip right as Skull Kid slammed into the ground with energy exploding off of him.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to let you rewind time again?!" Skull Kid asked aiming an energy bolt at the Ocarina before Tatl flew into his face to distract him, only to be backhanded away by Skull Kid in time for him to fire the bolt at Jaune.

Instead of standing there however, Jaune drew the Gilded Sword and dove out of the way, rolling until he was behind Skull Kid to pull off a Back Slice, making him cry out as it cut him before he threw a Deku Nut to stun him.

Seeing him stunned, Jaune quickly placed the Bunny Hood on and took off running, grabbing the dazed Tatl in the process.

The Moon was beginning to crush the Clock Tower and he could hear screams coming from the town as Jaune quickly raised the Ocarina to his lips and he began to play the Song of Time.

Turning as Jaune did so, Skull Kid growled and fired one last energy bolt that managed to pierce Jaune's back right as he hit the last note.

 _ **~Dawn of the First Day~**_

 _ **-Seventy-Two Hours Remain-**_

Both Jaune and Tatl collapsed as they appeared outside of the Clock Tower looking very exhausted from that whole ordeal.

"Okay, let's both agree to not do that again." Tatl said after taking a few moments to catch her breath only to not hear an answer.

Feeling worried, she turned only to see blood pooling around Jaune and her concern for the blonde went up.

"Jaune! Come on get up, drink a po-," She went to tell him to drink a potion only to realize that they didn't have one. "No come on, we have to get to the Fairy Fountain."

When he didn't answer, Tatl was horrified, only feeling relief when she saw that he was still breathing before she flew up.

"Help!" She finally shouted trying to get the attention of the Townspeople to try and help while Jaune passed out. "Someone! Anyone! We need medical attention!"

…

…

…

Consciousness returned to Jaune as he found himself in a bed, his hoodie and armor-or rather what was left of it to the side while his chest and stomach were completely wrapped up with bandages.

"What happened?" Jaune muttered a bit out of it before seeing his hoodie folded up on a nearby table, though he was more concerned about being in an unknown room. "Tatl?"

Not hearing an answer from his Fairy Companion, Jaune sat up, grimacing in pain from how his body was protesting his movements.

But he pushed through it until he had his feet on the floor and pushed to stand up, only to fall to his knees, gasping for breath.

He was too focused on the pain to hear the footsteps before the door opened where Jaune heard a rather young sounding voice. "You shouldn't be moving!"

Looking up, Jaune was surprised to find what looked to be a child wearing a yellow fox-like mask with hints of blue hair sticking out, carrying a fresh roll of bandages while wearing a purple tunic looking thing. "Who-?"

"Not important, come on." The young boy said placing a hand on Jaune's arms to help him up, though he was having a bit of a difficult time which lead for Jaune to wonder how this kid got him here to begin with.

Still he placed his other hand back on the bed to give the kid a hand and by the time he was back to sitting on the bed, sweat was on his face along with his stomach in knots.

"You need a bucket?" The kid asked seeing his expression, thinking he was going to puke, but the blonde shook his head. "Suit yourself."

Refocusing on the kid, Jaune actually recognized him.

Every single time he restarted the cycle this kid would always place a letter in the mailbox before running off towards the Laundry Pool, never talking to anyone.

Yet here he was helping Jaune despite how they never interacted before. "Where's Tatl?"

"Your Fairy Companion is currently trying to lead a Stray Fairy to the Fairy Fountain," The boy said dryly, despite how he had no idea why she was doing this. "She should be back soon, now stop moving so I can get these bandages changed, you've been out for a whole day."

Jaune jerked a bit as he realized it was the second day only for the kid to slap his arm because of that.

"I said not to move, if you jerk like that, you'll reopen the wounds." The kid said a bit harshly. "It was a pain to even get you here to be treated in the first place."

Jaune gave an apologetic look to the kid. "Why not get a Health Potion?"

"Health Potions aren't miracle workers, you had too many wounds for one to work and even then you need to take them in a certain time that you get the wound depending on its severity." The kid answered with Jaune blinking in confusion, not knowing that.

That would've been useful to know earlier.

So after a few seconds, Jaune spoke up again while the old bandages were removed to show some pretty bad burns on his shoulder and stomach which would no doubt leave more scars. "So what's your name?"

"You ask a lot of questions." The kid glanced up at Jaune when he said that before grabbing a new role of bandages.

Jaune went to shrug only to remember he shouldn't do that. "Well not like I can do much else."

That actually got a chuckle out of the kid. "Fair enough… Call me Keaton."

"Nice to meet you, I'm-."

"Jaune, yeah your Fairy said your name, she's pretty worried about you," Keaton said with Jaune looking rather sheepish before he finished tightening the bandages up, making the blonde grimace in pain. "So what happened to you?"

That question made Jaune frown as his mind was a bit fuzzy before it all came back to him.

At how Skull Kid nearly killed him when he stopped playing around, though Jaune did give as good as he got he knew that unlike him, Skull Kid won't keep the injuries which was pretty unfair in his opinion.

"Let's just say I ticked off the wrong imp." Jaune said a bit cryptically but Keaton froze.

"Skull Kid?" He asked with clear hatred in his tone which confused Jaune but he nodded. "What is with that damn imp, he keeps causing trouble."

"Yeah, he robbed me of my Ocarina the other day but I managed to get it back, everything else is a bit fuzzy." Jaune said trying to play it off as his injuries messing with his memories.

That would be easier to believe then time travel.

"Right, well you just need to take it easy for the next few days," Keaton explained before he handed Jaune his hoodie which was torn a bit. "I had it cleaned, but I don't know anything about fixing this."

"It's fine." Jaune said giving Keaton a grateful look while he pulled the hoodie on, without the armor one could see the bunny emblem on the front.

"You should be able to move by tomorrow, just keep off your feet for today." Keaton warned Jaune before leaving to throw the old bandages out.

"That kid is pretty mature for his age." Jaune couldn't help but say feeling a bit tired as he laid his head back down, feeling like he was laying in a marshmallow.

It's been so long since he slept in a bed, he didn't want to get back up now that he knew where he was.

 _ **~Dawn of the Third Day~**_

 _ **-Twenty-Four Hours Remain-**_

Jaune didn't even know how long he was out after that before he opened his eyes to see Tatl floating around nervously, the fairy moving towards him right as soon as he woke up. "You okay?" She asked in concern.

"I'm fine, just a bit sore-," Jaune went to say only to pause. "Were you watching me sleep?"

Tatl spluttered as her light shined a bit brighter from embarrassment, making Jaune squint his eyes from how bright she was being. "I think after what happened I'm entitled to make sure you're still breathing!" She finally said turning around in a huff while Jaune gave a sheepish chuckle, wincing from that.

"Sorry, still a bit out of it." Jaune apologized as he sat up again.

It was definitely a lot easier than last time, but he still felt pain from the movement.

"How did it go with getting the Stray Fairy to the Fountain?"

"Took a bit, but I managed it." Tatl turned back to give Jaune a look. "She wanted to speak with you after what happened, think you can make it?"

Jaune gave a nod and pushed himself to stand up before grabbing the armor to place back on his hoodie.

Even if it was shredded, it was still good to keep it for now.

After the medicine and rest it didn't hurt as bad, besides once he's in the Fairy Fountain no doubt he'll be healed.

Best to get there as soon as possible.

Much to his surprise, he didn't see Keaton anywhere, just a note saying he was going to be gone for the day to take care of something important.

It was good so he could leave without too much of a fuss.

* * *

"I see, he regained his memories?" The Great Fairy asked with a frown on her face from that piece of bad news while Jaune was just happy that the Fairy Fountain was helping him heal up.

"Yeah, how did that happen?" Jaune asked wanting some answers on that front.

It hasn't happened with the other people he interacted with, so what made Skull Kid so special?

The Great Fairy was silent for a moment, crossing her arms as she floated sideways before glancing at Jaune. "It's possible the mask had a hand in it." She said with Jaune's eyes widening.

Of course, it makes sense that the Mask that allows for Skull Kid to go genocidal might have something to do with his memories.

"But if that's the case, wouldn't he have remembered during the first few cycles?" Tatl asked in a confused manner.

Jaune stilled.

That was honestly a good point.

The Great Fairy cupped her chin before another theory came to her. "Perhaps it has something to do with you?"

Now she lost Jaune.

Seeing his confused expression, the Great Fairy elaborated. "The way you time travel, it's like a clean slate for you every time in Termina unless it's one of the Giants or the other Great Fairies," She explained with Jaune nodding to confirm that. "Has there been any instances where someone acted differently than they did before despite meeting you the same way?"

Jaune was about to say no before he remembered that one time he went to the Swordsman for the lessons when he learned the Ending Blow and Shield Attack.

' _Hold on, have we met somewhere before?_ '

It seemed his face was showing his answer with the Great Fairy nodding. "Memories are a tricky thing to deal with, especially with magic involved," She revealed to Jaune. "Perhaps the more you reset the more that the people of Termina deal with Deja-Vu?"

"That's pretty interesting," Tatl looked rather thoughtful at this theory, flying up in the air. "So there's a chance that some people will remember a past cycle? Could there be a trigger for them?"

"... Is it possible Skull Kid could become immune to the resets?" Jaune asked, that horrifying realization coming to him.

If he could remember a past cycle there was a chance that he could become immune to them.

Tatl froze in fear, not even thinking about that while the Great Fairy frowned. "That I cannot answer," She said showing she didn't know. "You've spent a year already doing these resets, so it's possible the longer you do this the more of a chance that'll happen."

"It's been a year?!" Jaune asked not expecting that.

It actually felt longer than that.

"That means we need to do the last two temples as soon as possible." Tatl said, now fearful of the idea that they won't be able to use the rewinds to escape Skull Kid.

It seems that this last run in, instilled a well justified fear of him.

Jaune gave a nod, a serious look going across his face. "So we're heading for the Ocean-."

"I wouldn't advise that."

Slowly both Jaune and Tatl glanced at the Great Fairy in disbelief.

"You wouldn't advise that?" Jaune repeated, unable to believe what he was hearing as he threw his hands out in frustration. "You just said that Skull Kid could remember the other cycles the more it goes on, that means we need to do them as quickly as we can!"

Instead of answering, the Great Fairy floated closer to Jaune before using a finger to poke him, jabbing where his wound used to be.

Jaune hissed in pain showing that despite the great healing effects of the Fairy Fountain he wasn't fully healed.

"The Skull Kid's new powers are enough to shatter all of the Great Fairies and to cause Genocide in Termina, it stands to reason that they can counter the healing process of the Fairy Fountains. You can't risk going in there until you're fully healed," The Great Fairy told him sternly while he rubbed his chest. "There's too much at stake for you to rush it."

"You didn't have to poke me." Jaune muttered a bit irritable.

The Great Fairy just quirked a brow. "Would you have listened if I didn't?"

Jaune wisely said nothing to that, but he didn't need to as Tatl sighed. "He wouldn't have," She said only to receive a betrayed look from him. "What? I'm being honest considering your track record."

"I don't have a track record!" Jaune protested while the Great Fairy watched their little argument with an expression of amusement.

* * *

"So now what?" Jaune asked as the next cycle began, having played the Song of Time after leaving the Fairy Fountain.

He couldn't just sit around and wait after what happened.

"We're not going to the Ocean or the Canyon, you need to rest." Tatl was nestled in his hair at the moment, rather adamant about not flying too far away from the blonde at the moment before seeing how he paused in thought and she knew that he was most likely trying to find a loophole. "And no that doesn't mean you can go to the Swamp and Mountain either!"

Jaune spluttered. "I wasn't thinking that!" He denied despite how he actually was.

"Uh huh." Tatl's tone clearly showed that she didn't believe him in the slightest.

Giving a sigh, Jaune looked back at the Clock Tower, his mind flashing back to when the moon was crashing into it and shuddered.

Great, new nightmare material right there.

Tapping his foot as he crossed his arms, Jaune's ears perked at a sudden idea. "How about the ranch?"

Tatl went silent at that, thinking it over. "Nothing dangerous happened when we were there last." She said after some hesitation while Jaune took that as a win.

…

"That's a big rock." Jaune couldn't help but say as he saw a guy with a pick ax trying to break through a gigantic rock that was four times bigger than the one blocking the Goron's Race. "Think I can lift it?"

"Honesty I think you might give yourself a hernia if you tried." Tatl warned with Jaune frowning before an idea came to him.

Would the Power Bracelets work as a Goron?

Taking them off much to Tatl's confusion, Jaune pulled the Goron Mask out and changed into a Goron before putting them back on, a bit surprised by how the bracelets actually changed to accommodate his new form.

Tatl didn't take long to figure out what he was doing as Jaune walked over to the giant rock, where the guy chipping away at it went to warn him off, only for his eyes to bug out when Jaune began to lift the giant boulder, giving a yell as he threw it high into the air where it shattered upon impact down the road.

The miner slowly looked at Jaune with a bit of a fearful expression. "Uh… You interested in a job?" He asked with Jaune giving a chuckle at the question.

"Thanks, but I'll pass."

With that said, he walked off towards the Ranch, taking the bracelets and the mask off before reapplying the bracelets back in his human form.

"Definitely have to remember that in the future." Tatl commented with Jaune nodding.

Being able to use the Power Bracelet in his other forms was pretty useful.

It didn't take too long to reach the ranch with Jaune smiling at seeing it. "Pretty peaceful here." He couldn't help but comment, especially since he could see the cows being out along with the chickens moving and a dog barking. "Definitely a nice change."

"Yes, but we are technically trespassing." Tatl pointed out with Jaune shrugging at that.

"Technically we're always trespassing." Jaune waved off before shrugging as he heard something coming right at him and he reacted by pulling his sword out to slice through an arrow.

Tatl gave a start at that happening with the two of them looking to where the arrow came from to see a girl looking at them in awe, standing near a target practice showing that the arrow was a misfire.

Wait, Jaune narrowed his eyes at the girl in confusion.

She was familiar-.

It clicked into place as Jaune remembered the last time they came to this Ranch, this girl was sitting on a box with a blank expression and dead blue eyes. The same girl who shook while holding her head.

Instead of that however, the girl's eyes were full of curiosity and wonder as she looked Jaune over.

"Uh can I help you?" Jaune asked almost shivering as he kept seeing how she looked last time compared to now.

"Are you a knight?" The girl asked in awe.

… What?

 _ **To Be Continued…**_

 _ **This took too long to type, sorry about that. It's also close to one in the morning and I have work tomorrow so I need to wrap this up if I want to post this tonight. Sorry if the ending seems rather abrupt, but it was dragging on and I want to get this damn thing posted. This chapter is probably all over the place due to how I had to stop, come back to it days later having to reread the story to remember where I left off only to repeat all of that with my new schedule in life.**_

… _**I should probably stop complaining, sorry about that.**_

 _ **First things first I bet everyone was surprised with the close call with Skull Kid am I right? While typing this I realized how strange it would be if Skull Kid just stayed at the Clock Tower for those three days. I mean it's good for a game mechanic but not for a story.**_

 _ **Plus you never see him except for the beginning and the end of Majora's Mask, so I wanted to have his character show up again and to show how Jaune measures up so far. We also have some other characters introduced like 'Keaton' and finally the Ranch girl here.**_

 _ **Then there's the new problem with the time resets showing that Skull Kid has a chance to become immune to them due to the Mask's mysterious powers, especially if given the right trigger he could remember at any moment. Then we have Jaune learning another new sword technique being the Back Slice, adding to his ever growing sword skills.**_

 _ **And yes it's been a year in the story so far, Jaune certainly has learned a lot in that year given the nature of how he's learning it.**_

 _ **Oh and for the Poll, I took it down awhile ago with it finished and the winner is… Epona, he'll get the horse for this story, I'm sorry for those of you who voted for the Master Cycle but Epona had the most votes.**_

 _ **Okay let's get to the reviews while I'm still awake.**_

 _ **Dragon lord Syed 101: Thank you and yea the Termina stuff is working pretty well. I'm not going to spoil my plan for the brother gods as of yet, though I might change my mind on it and try to come up with something new if I have to. It's either going to be a Zelda that looks like TP or BOTW, not sure which one I will use but it's either one of those two. If you're talking about partners for the team it'll either be canon with Pyrrha or I will change it to Ruby, I'm still trying to decide on that front.**_

 _ **Rmarcano321: Thanks and the theme for this story is coming of age with Jaune losing his innocence in this story due to how dark it can get, the alienation from how the resets keep him from making bonds with others, besides Tatl of course, and the courage to see things through to the end.**_

 _ **Commandosquirrel: Pft, hahaha I guess so.**_

 _ **Joseskywalker02: Thanks and interesting suggestion, having a temple be in the Death Stalker lair would make for a great change.**_

 _ **Razmire: Thanks, it was a lot of fun typing the battle with Goht, especially when I decided to change it up. Plus I wanted Tatl to do something in this story as she doesn't really do much-well besides ensuring Jaune doesn't do suicidal stunts and providing him with information which is very important.**_

 _ **The Real Hell Fire: It's no problem and I'm happy you enjoyed this story so far. It's pretty far from the end of BOTW, but I'm still in the process of trying to add it to the lore of RWBY in a way to have it make sense.**_

 _ **Darzefader: If you thought that was tense, I'm curious to hear your reaction to the surprise fight with Skull Kid in this chapter. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out sooner.**_

 _ **ThatOneRandomDude: Perhaps, I mean they are pretty fond of each other at this point given everything that's happened so it's not hard to see if Tatl does have some form of attraction.**_

 _ **Echonic: Again, thank you for pointing that out, I can't believe I goth Matriarch and Patriarch mixed up, the heck was I thinking?**_

 _ **Zeldawolffang: Sorry but Tatl won't be coming to Remnant with Jaune, she'll stay in Termina, though it won't be good-bye forever.**_

 _ **Enumeaelish666: Yeah I'm not going to have the super bomb in this story, the Power Bracelets work pretty well as their replacement in my opinion. Haha yeah with Epona Jaune will easily be seen as a knight and a lover of classics. Especially with his horse being theft proof. Heheh good idea for the masks, especially with the soul attachment. And while I thank you for the compliment I'll have to disagree as I'm sure there are loads of better RWBY crossovers than this one.**_

 _ **X3runner: Thanks… I'm going to have to go back over the other chapters to fix some mistakes though I'll write down a memo for that later. Yeah, Jaune might've done good with pushing the problems away but you can only do that for so long before you reach your limit and it's starting to show. He will have a few titles by the time this story is over I can promise that and yes he will keep changing his gear and equipment whenever there's an opportunity to improve them. I had to look up Izawsmash Link to understand what you meant and while he won't be that scarred, he'll have quite a few of them, especially the new ones added this chapter.**_

 _ **RobinRuken: Yeah the ears will be a pain for him to hide, and while it would be interesting to use the Rat faunus as a line I don't think this version of Jaune after everything that happened would lie about something like that. And I do have fun typing it, it's just that I rarely have time now with everything, but that won't stop me.**_

 _ **Giorno: Yeah, sorry about that, while I did think about the personal touches I loved the design for the Gilded Sword and I couldn't bring myself to try and change something about it.**_

 _ **Guest5: Thanks and while I would love to have Skull Kid, Tatl and Tael come to Remnant with Jaune I think it's better if they stayed in Termina as they would need time to recover, though they might appear in the future after all. I did entertain the idea of where he would get the Master Cycle, but Epona won the poll so I'll come up with something for her soon.**_

 _ **Firetrail: Yeah their interactions are the best thing to type in this story with everything the two have been through together, but they have their own lives and Tatl will be staying in Termina with her brother after this story. They will see each other again though. And while the dungeons are the weak point I hope that I'll keep improving them to make them more interesting.**_

 _ **Zathol: Haha yea, after that mess in the Mountains they needed a break, though I don't think they got much of one. The Power Bracelets are ridiculous, especially with the idea of Jaune using them to pick up a stone pillar to use as a weapon, I'll have to remember that. Heh, the upgraded weapons are always a beauty and he might get the Mirror Shield. And no Tatl is possible wearing something underneath the glow, it was just the whole custom thing when Jaune asked that question. Yeah the boss fights are pretty difficult to type but also a lot of fun because I'm not limited to the game or the AI with them, though it's hard to try and make them equal to Jaune and vice versa without making one weak. The near death scene with Tatl was actually improvised, it wasn't originally going to be in there, but when I got around to typing it I couldn't stop. Pft, thinking about his reaction to the pirates is making me laugh. Though he does need to work on his stealth more, I'll have to see about changing that. Yup Romani Ranch is up next and honestly with everything they've seen so far, I think aliens wouldn't reach that far up the list, though them abducting cows would raise a few eyebrows.**_

 _ **Wafflez: Thanks and sorry for the run on sentences, I'm trying to work on them, but they seem to be replacing Grammar as my worst writing subject.**_

 _ **EclipsMirror: Thanks and as for your questions. 1) I might, I haven't really thought about that part all that much but it does sound interesting. 2) I'm still trying to think of how I want to do the Fierce Deity for when he does appear in the story, there's so much potential but it's hard to decide on something.**_

 _ **Crystal-Shinobi: He'll keep everything he gained from Termina-for the most part-but I'm indecisive about him going back and forth because it would be awesome and it'll keep the other characters in the story but I don't know if I really want to do that.**_

 _ **Foxcomm: Oh I have a plan for Jaune's armor, especially considering his armor is nearly shredded right about now.**_

 _ **PatRox: Yeah I can understand that and I assume the Master Cycle is the same way, I have BOTW but I haven't unlocked the damn thing yet… I need to get back to playing it soon if I can put Dark Souls down long enough. But Epona won the poll so she'll be in this story and the next chapter as shown by the end of this last chapter is the Romani Ranch sidequest. It's great to hear that I wrote Tatl's near death experience well enough to incite a response like that. I was originally going to keep the sheathe transformation for Jaune, but given what the last Great Fairy will give him after the Canyon it would've been a bit redundant. Yeah the Power Bracelets are ridiculous, but not as ridiculous as the Silver and Golden Gauntlets. Yeah he didn't get much of a break in this chapter huh?**_

 _ **Donkike07: Heh thanks, it was a lot of fun making those changes. And while Jaune used the blacksmith for the Gilded Shield and Sword I have a plan for his armor that no one will see until after the Great Bay Temple. He will look more like a knight though. While the Golden Gauntlets are cool, it's still way too early for Jaune to have something like that, they won't appear in Termina, sorry. I did consider the Clawshot, but I figured it would be fun to have the Hookshot and then upgrade it to the Clawshot later. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out soon for the interactions with the two sisters. Hahaha, I can so see Romani doing that with embarrassing Cremia and Jaune in the process.**_

 _ **Guest6: As much as I would love to have them interact without them forgetting due to the resets and it is possible, I don't think Jaune would take them with him because then he would have to subject them to the horrors of everything going on which is something he wouldn't wish on anyone else.**_

 _ **Legomanny: Haha yeah, Odolwa and Goht down just two more to go and Jaune's weapon is a bit more badass and stronger than it used to be. Yeah Jaune won't be a target for Cardin, though I don't want to bash Team CRDL either as a lot of stories do that, they might be bullies and they might be racist but they aren't necessarily evil, they're just flawed humans after all. I need to think more on that front. Yeah Jaune won't be pining for Weiss in this story, which would help their interactions as they might become friends but that's it and Pyrrha will have her canon crush for a bit, but I might have her get over it.**_

 _ **Blake Tourdner: Wow I haven't read that story in a long time, I had a lot of fun reading it when it first came out. And yes I can see why people would rationalize the Pirates being killed, but rationalizing it and actually doing it are two different things, especially because of how fragile Jaune's mindset is getting with these resets.**_

 _ **Justarandomdude: Yeah, Jaune does fit the criteria with the looks, the weapon and being a strategist it just took him a bit to gain the skill. Yeah Remnant could have a BOTW feel to it with everything, especially with his journey after Termina. Haha yeah you can never forget the Master Sword, it is Links signature weapon after all.**_

 _ **Liantei: It's great to see that you're enjoying this story even if you're not that into LOZ. Especially with the changes that his developed character will make to RWBY canon. Yes Jaune is Link's descendant as shown with him having the Ocarina of Time, but him being a reincarnation is up in the air at this point. Don't worry Zelda and Ganondorf will remain their own characters, the only RWBY character that's a LoZ character is Jaune being Link in this story. And sadly Ganondorf isn't behind Salem or the Grimm, he's not behind every evil after all but his is the supreme in comparison**_

 _ **Pokedrago: Thanks, I'm actually amazed at how far this story got and how Jaune's character has changed over the course, some of it planned but a lot just happened as I typed and I couldn't be any happier with the progress. And don't worry, you're not pushy and I didn't say I hate Arkos, it's just that Jaune has never shown any sign of liking Pyrrha until after the kiss, besides that first time meeting with the flirting but that was aimed more at Weiss with him following his Dad's horrible advice. But I've seen more Arkos stories than any other ships that's why I don't plan on writing one, but I can promise that he won't go after Weiss and I don't plan to have Yang be the pairing either.**_

 _ **LordNoobReview: Haha thanks, it's fun to type this story and I'm sorry for the wait on each chapter so far. Thanks for being understanding in me answering the reviews in terms too spoilers. And don't worry, a lot maybe happening in my life but it's not that much troubling, though it does push everything back a bit. Yeah the scars do add a big thing to Jaune, even more with the newly acquired scars in this chapter. Ooh just imagining the reactions of everyone at Beacon if they ever see his scars is pretty fun. Hylians came first, they were a recent thing in Twilight Princess apparently and the games set before that didn't have humans in them, that much I do remember and yes Jaune's Hylian traits have something to do with a spell that hid the features, after all given who Jaune's ancestor is it is important to hide the family line at times given the enemies that family line has made over many years.**_

 _ **His reaction to not being Human is an interesting dilemma, I think he would feel lost… Betrayed? Angry? Unsure? How does one deal with it? In a way it's like Clark Kent finding out he's Kryptonian after spending so long thinking he's Human with powers so I could use something like that as a basis when he does find out. I might have a plan for Jaune hiding his ears, but it won't show up for awhile… Hopefully I can remember it when the time comes, I might have to write it down just in case. Oh and don't worry Jaune will keep it a secret from a lot of the cast and both Ozpin and Salem won't randomly find out unless they find connections to the past before them or Ganondorf straight up tells them for some odd reason. Speaking of which Salem and Ozpin don't know anything about Hylians or their Magic so they have limited information which is fair because Jaune doesn't have any information on them either. I'm not answering the magic part as of yet because I'm still determining that and truthfully I want to wait until I see more of RWBY's magic before I come to a decision.**_

 _ **ENDDRAGON369: Heh that would've been fun to do, wish I thought of that before doing the poll.**_

 _ **Phew finally done with the reviews and it's 2 in the morning now which is probably why I feel rather loopy… I need to get to bed. Night everyone, hope you enjoyed the chapter.**_


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